The Return Of The Genius Ranker Of All Times [EN]: Chapter 201

201.

Though Do-hyun was close to all his comrades, he shared the most stories with Uncle Bora.

Whenever Kkukkuk and Sword Emperor fought, he would always sigh in the back and chat.

‘In fact, it was always that pattern.’

There wasn’t a day when Kkukkuk and Sword Emperor didn’t argue.

Whether it was a bad thing or a good thing, the two were always repelling each other like the north and south poles of a magnet [referring to the opposing nature of magnets].

Yet, it was so strange how they always stuck together.

-If you look closely, it’s not just Kkukkuk who’s the problem, but that Sword Emperor is also quite the psycho.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Did I tell you? The first place I met that guy was at a waterfall? I thought he was a real NPC [Non-Player Character, a character controlled by the game] when he spoke in a historical drama tone while meditating under the waterfall, saying there was a rat hiding.

-That’s really crazy, but do you know you’ve said that eleven times already, Uncle?

Perhaps it was because Kkukkuk was openly crazy, and Sword Emperor was crazy in a different way.

Among these bizarre party members, he always complained to Do-hyun, who was the most normal, and some of the complaints were so repetitive that he was sick of hearing them.

It’s not an exaggeration; I can still recall it word for word.

Perhaps thanks to that.

The conversation with Uncle Bora, whom he met after a long time, flowed without any awkwardness.

“How come you never stop causing accidents? You’ve always been like that. You always do dangerous things. You’re not normal either; you just get buried among the other guys.”

“I keep saying, I only do it because I can handle it.”

“Oh, really? So you would have won the fight with the Hero Guild this time even without my help?”

“……That wasn’t my intention. How would I know the raid boss would overlap?”

Just like they were talking yesterday.

Words flowed out naturally like a waterfall.

“Oh, I’ve heard you say that a million times. You say it wasn’t your intention, but you summon a dragon, and I still get chills when I think about you suddenly having a deathmatch with the Four Dragon Lords.”

“I caught them in the end. I’m the one who’s wronged. I did all the tanking and broke all the patterns, but I only got a brick, and you got legendary rewards, Uncle.”

“……I can’t argue with that.”

After pouring out a bunch of stories like that, the two were able to shut their mouths.

Then they faced each other and chuckled.

“You’re still the same, huh? You made a very flashy comeback?”

“Well……. I guess.”

“The return of the God, and so on, you’re doing all the cool stuff alone?”

“What are you talking about? It just happened that way.”

“It just happened to be the recapture of first place……. I’m sure. So when are you going to take off the mask, you punk.”

“Oh, that’s right.”

Do-hyun paused, belatedly realizing that he was still wearing a mask.

Although they had been close colleagues for a long time, Do-hyun had never shown Uncle Bora his bare face.

To be precise, he had never shown his real face.

Demrok’s customization was very different from now.

Swish.

But Do-hyun took off the mask without hesitation.

After all, the other side’s face was close to his real face. There was no reason to hide his face now.

As Do-hyun took off his mask, Astra let out a breath he had been holding in.

“Phew……. Thank goodness. You look exactly as I imagined.”

“? I feel a little strange for some reason? Is that a compliment?”

“Um? Oh, right. It’s a compliment.”

“……I don’t think so.”

Do-hyun tilted his head, feeling inexplicably uneasy, but the conversation quickly moved on.

Do-hyun, who had taken a sip of tea, also blurted out.

“Uncle, you’ve changed a bit. It looks like you’ve finally graduated from that disgusting self-proclaimed old-timer fashion.”

Actually, he wanted to say that since a while ago.

They say a person changes in an instant when it’s time to die, but it felt strange to see him walking around so normally.

“It’s God of Seoul. The realism is so great that the regulations are strict. If I walked around like Demrok, I’d be arrested for disturbing public order. And I’m now the head of a respectable top 10 guild, so I can’t go around like that.”

“Didn’t you say we were colleagues?”

“Would you say that? What kind of article would come out? I’m pretending to be playing the game for the first time so I don’t get caught.”

“I guess…….”

Recalling the journey they had gone through together in Demrok, he couldn’t help but agree.

The sight of him wielding a blunt weapon while laughing in his underwear was, to put it nicely, barbaric, and to put it badly, dirty.

And that’s not all.

Since there wasn’t much content, they did all sorts of strange things.

‘If I just blow up one of those articles, it’ll be enough for the main banner.’

With that in mind, Astra’s judgment could be said to be truly appropriate.

Was it because that kind of story came up?

“What about those guys?”

“Those guys? Well, they’re still the same…… Hmm?”

When he asked about the other two guys’ recent whereabouts, Astra’s expression suddenly turned strange as he was answering nonchalantly.

He smiled as if he had found something interesting and asked in a meaningful tone.

“Come to think of it, you haven’t met them yet, have you?”

“……Haven’t I?”

“Hmm~ I see. You’ll be surprised when you meet them.”

“Why, what is it?”

Even when he repeatedly asked, smiling and guaranteeing, Astra only said that he would find out soon.

‘Could it be that they’re also muscleheads like Uncle?’

That would be quite shocking.

Or maybe one of the famous people now is actually them.

He was curious for no reason, but he didn’t want to ask anymore when he saw Uncle’s expression.

Uncle Bora was the type who would never say anything when he was smiling playfully like that.

“Well, I’ll find out when I meet them. It’s the Empire now, after all.”

“What, you’re giving up easier than I thought? How boring.”

“Am I meeting Uncle for the first time or what? So what are those guys doing? Did they start a guild like Uncle?”

“Are those guys the type to start a guild?”

Astra chuckled and shook his head at the question he blurted out.

At that, Do-hyun nodded, agreeing that was true.

The Sword Emperor, who was a hardcore roleplayer, liked to live as a wanderer, and Kkukkuk was such an unpredictable guy that he was impossible to control.

There was no way a guild could accommodate them.

“Actually, I’ve recommended them to join the guild several times, but would they listen? Sword Emperor said he had his own path and wouldn’t listen, and Kkukkuk blocked me for a month because it was annoying.”

“Hehe, that sounds like them.”

“Ugh, how easy would it be if those guys helped me? How about you join? I’m a top 10 guild, you know? I’ll give you the highest executive position if you join.”

“Have you ever seen me join a guild?”

“Sigh, what’s my fate? My colleagues are all like this. Other people are dying to join…….”

He grumbled that he had no affection for him with his firm refusal, but there was no resentment in it.

It was natural since he didn’t really ask sincerely.

Even though Uncle Bora, who had wanted to establish a special guild worthy of being at the top, repeatedly told him to create a guild and join, he, including Sword Emperor and Kkukkuk, were horrified and hated it.

‘They said they felt like they were losing their freedom if they belonged to something. Sword Emperor said it would interfere with his training.’

Even though he had been burned by the guild, they were really unique guys.

‘They didn’t join a guild, so they’re not in the top 10 guilds……. Are they among the high rankers?’

He was briefly recalling the rankings he had seen a while ago.

Astra, who had been leaning back as if lying down, suddenly straightened his posture.

Then he stared intently with a serious expression. It was a characteristic of Uncle Bora before he started talking seriously.

“Why, if you have something to say, say it.”

“……Are you really not thinking of joining a guild?”

“What, were you serious?”

“No, I was joking earlier, but I’ve changed my mind. It’ll be beneficial for you.”

At that, Do-hyun also erased his smile.

If Uncle Bora was saying that with such conviction, it was really for his sake.

“What’s the reason?”

“Verze is strong. To be exact, he’s too strong for you to handle right now. You’ll probably lose if you fight.”

“…….”

He didn’t bother denying it.

Do-hyun was roughly aware of it.

Unlike himself, who had just set foot on the Empire, he had already reached the maximum level a long time ago.

He must have experienced the numerous growth routes in the Empire to the fullest.

“Moreover, he has completed even the things after reaching the maximum level. There’s such a gap that you can’t win even if you die and come back to life. Honestly, if you weren’t the target, I would have forced you to give up without even asking.”

“So, join the guild and get protection?”

“Yes. I know you hate guilds, but you have to think realistically.”

Astra, who had taken his arm off the armrest, continued.

“I’m blocking it for you now, but there’s a limit to that. Blocking it indirectly like this is only for once or twice, and if I keep doing it, the top 10 guilds will put pressure on me.”

“……How long can you last?”

“I don’t know. At most about a week? It’s difficult beyond that.”

“Hmm…….”

“But things change if you join the guild. No one would dare say anything if I said I’m going to protect my guild members.”

A figure full of confidence and ambition.

It could be said to be the arrogance of someone who has achieved the position of a top 10 guild, but Do-hyun could only chuckle at the sight.

“You’re putting on an act that doesn’t suit you?”

“……Are you going to ruin the mood when I’m saying something cool for once?”

“It’s okay, when has it ever been easy? This is more balanced.”

“……Are you really going to be okay?”

Uncle Bora scratched the back of his head at Do-hyun’s firm answer.

He looked frustrated, but Do-hyun wasn’t just saying that out of arrogance without thinking.

He said that, but he knew that there would be problems if he joined the guild.

Do-hyun knew that the top 10 guilds were watching him.

‘The top 10 guilds do not interfere in the fights between lower guilds…….’

That was the unwritten rule between the top 10 guilds.

They are not just simple guilds.

They are so powerful that even their slightest movements can drastically change and shake the market.

If they were to interfere in the fights between lower guilds, there would be such destruction of the ecosystem.

Naturally, the guild backed by the top 10 guilds would win, and naturally, the number of guilds claiming to be subordinates of the top 10 guilds would increase.

In other words, it’s not just that the shrimp’s back is broken in a whale fight, but the shrimp fight turns into a whale fight.

That’s why they set an unwritten rule to prevent it from becoming corrupted…….

‘……That’s just a nice-sounding excuse, and they just want me to disappear.’

This time it was different.

Strictly speaking, Do-hyun is not a guild.

Nevertheless, the reason why this atmosphere is created is because, as Verze said, Do-hyun is a poisoned chalice for them.

If it becomes known that Babylon has taken Do-hyun, they will all join forces to check and pressure him.

‘In severe cases, a war may break out.’

He didn’t have the power to overcome that now, let alone later.

He didn’t want to show the unsightly sight of hiding behind his colleague’s back because he couldn’t even beat Verze.

And above all…….

‘That’s not my style. It only means something if I break it with my own hands.’

Do-hyun didn’t have a big enough heart to entrust the guys who had stabbed him in the back to someone else and sleep soundly.

Corrective education is done by his own hands.

That is Do-hyun’s belief.

“Ha……. Well, if that’s what you say, then that’s what it is. You haven’t failed yet after saying that.”

In the end, Uncle Bora gave up at that stubborn belief.

He didn’t forget to add one condition.

“Instead, if you think it’s not going to work out, I’ll forcibly accept you as a guild member. If you’re so confident, you can agree to this much, right?”

“…….”

“And there’s one more thing.”

As Do-hyun nodded and tried to answer, Uncle Bora immediately added.

“The period I can pull you is one week. It can’t be longer than that. So you have to get stronger by using as many possible methods as you can by then.”

“I was going to do that anyway.”

“Actually, it would be nice if I could lend you equipment……. But if I did that, they might pick a fight with me for helping you, so it’s ambiguous…… The standard route won’t work because the level won’t be enough…….”

Uncle Bora, who had been thinking hard, nodded.

“Is this the only way after all?”

“What is it?”

“Sigh……, is it okay? It’s not recommended for you at all……. Even you can’t do this.”

“Just tell me.”

Even with Do-hyun’s urging, Uncle Bora kept scratching his insides, repeating ‘Sigh, this is a bit…….’ ‘Oh, will this work?’ for a long time, and only slowly opened his mouth after seeing Do-hyun’s fist clenching.

The two letters that popped out like that.

“Ah…….”

Do-hyun’s pupils shook violently at the word consisting of only two letters, and then he put his hand on his forehead.

……It was true that he wasn’t confident in this.

* * *

Clang- Clang-

The sound of metal rings out cheerfully.

After the clear sound effect of iron clashing against iron is heard, the screams of users follow.

“Aaaagh!! It exploded!!!”

“Waaaaa! It worked! It worked! I finally got the blue color!”

A place where screams and cheers are mixed.

It’s an outer alleyway more than 20 minutes away from the central fountain of the Empire, but there was no user who didn’t know this place.

That was natural.

[Welcome to the Alley of Enhancement.]

[You can entrust the enhancement to the Equipment Enhancement NPC by offering materials, or you can borrow enhancement equipment from the enhancer and do self-enhancement.]

‘I can’t believe I’m coming here again…….’

To be exact, it was the first time in God of Seoul, but the familiar scent made Do-hyun let out a deep sigh.

The method that Uncle Bora suggested and expressed concern about.

At the same time, the thing that Do-hyun was least confident in.

That was enhancement [improving equipment stats by using resources and risking failure].