The Return Of The Genius Ranker Of All Times [EN]: Chapter 211

211. The Guardian Deity’s Blessing

A legendary skill, almost exclusively associated with tankers, a true lifeline.

To summarize the effect of the Guardian Deity’s Blessing in a single phrase:

‘A perfect one-on-one encounter.’

A skill that forces a situation where two individuals can only focus on each other.

It’s essentially a duel.

What skill could be more appropriate for a tanker, whose role revolves around one-on-one engagements?

It’s often considered the pinnacle of tanking abilities.

‘Knockback immunity and the ability to withstand even area-of-effect taunts with incredible tanking power.’

Perhaps for the sake of balance, its effectiveness is reduced or has a limited duration when targeting regular monsters…

Even with that limitation, it’s undeniably a powerful ability.

Consequently, there’s a significant difference in preference between tankers who possess the Guardian Deity’s Blessing and those who don’t.

However, this advantage primarily applies to Player versus Environment (PVE) scenarios.

Despite its formidable reputation in PVE, the Guardian Deity’s Blessing isn’t as highly valued in Player versus Player (PVP) combat.

It’s not due to poor performance.

-A true one-on-one? Forget that, I hate it.

-Such a cheap skill. All tankers should just die. Please don’t participate in siege warfare.

-How can siege warfare function without tankers? Who will tank?

-Ugh, I don’t know, it’s just awful.

Quite the opposite, in fact.

The Guardian Deity’s Blessing, which seems like a fair advantage, can appear quite unfair when used in PVP.

-Guaranteed root [immobilization] is too much. Honestly, the skill’s design is flawed. What’s the point of bringing a strong player if someone suddenly appears and uses the Guardian Deity’s Blessing, immediately removing you from the battlefield?

-Ah, tankers should just stick to raids, like a good stew~

-Turtle mode is excessive.

-If you’re going to be a turtle, act like one. Formation disruption is too overpowered (OP), seriously.

-It wasn’t a turtle; it was a Black Tortoise [a mythical creature known for its defense].

-What’s the point of being able to attack after being hit? You’re already stunned or thrown far away. You can’t even hit before getting hit… Guaranteed first strike is insane.

Witnessing a tanker wreak havoc while utilizing the Guardian Deity’s Blessing in siege warfare naturally provokes curses.

It provides tankers with immense satisfaction and enemies with extreme frustration during siege warfare.

That’s why users who have experienced the Guardian Deity’s Blessing even once in PVP often say:

“It’s a good thing I’m a tanker.”

“If a damage dealer had that… Wow, that would completely unbalance the game.”

“Sometimes the game management is terrible, but when you see things like this, they actually do a good job.”

“If tankers didn’t have that, they’d be nothing more than meat shields in siege warfare.”

“They wouldn’t even be effective meat shields.”

It’s fortunate that it’s a skill exclusive to tankers.

In the past, someone posed a question in an interview.

What would happen if a damage dealer, instead of a tanker, possessed it?

Rafael, a support user ranked 59th, responded:

“What do you mean what would happen? It would be a disaster.”

“…Excuse me?”

“A damage dealer with tanker-level defense, knockback immunity, and a guaranteed first strike? There would be no balance whatsoever. All the support players would quit the game.”

Rafael’s statement openly expressed disgust, as if the thought itself was horrifying.

This was an opinion that all users agreed with, and even tanker users couldn’t help but concur.

That’s how inappropriate it would be for a damage dealer to have such a skill.

[The Guardian Deity’s Blessing has been activated, and marks appear above the target and the caster.]

[As long as the marks are maintained, the two must only face each other.]

[If the covenant is broken and an enemy other than the designated target is attacked, a mark will also appear on the attacked enemy.]

[The marked person can attack the caster.]

‘But that actually happened?’

But it did happen.

Right now, in Do-hyun’s hands.

-A damage dealer with the Guardian Deity’s Blessing, lol [laughing out loud]

-Rafael’s going to foam at the mouth if he sees this, lol

-So, to summarize, it’s a damage dealer who uses the Thunder Dragon Descent, sprays Icefall, and wields all weapons while using the Guardian Deity’s Blessing? Is that correct?

-Artificial intelligence, you son of a b****, is this balanced?

-Ah, Kaiser is a god~ Gods don’t get balance adjustments~

[Astro: Is this right? Is this right? Is this right? Is this right?]

This was the reason why the viewers, who had already exceeded 80 million, were horrified, and why Astro was showering donations.

-Look at Astro being jealous, lol

-He has a reason to be jealous. He spent billions, hundreds of billions, and still couldn’t get something like that.

-At this point, the Kaiser All-Master theory is correct. Maybe it’s related to the main quest?

-So, is the one-on-one happening? Verze came all this way trying to look cool, what’s gonna happen to him, lol

-For real, his guild members are just gonna be twiddling their thumbs, lol

-Today’s broadcast is so fun. Foreigners who can’t watch this because of the time difference are so unlucky.

The tension in the chat room, which had become a sea of laughter, felt like it had risen sharply.

They felt anticipation.

They were excited at the prospect of finally witnessing the talked-about showdown they had always been curious about.

The more that happened, the more Verze’s face contorted.

‘Damn it! Kaiser, that son of a b****…’

The plan he had meticulously prepared had fallen through again.

He had clearly created a situation where he could only win in an advantageous position, so why did it end up flowing according to that guy’s plan again?

He couldn’t understand why it always turned out like this.

‘Guardian Deity’s Blessing, how on earth can that guy use that skill!’

He couldn’t comprehend it at all, but beyond that, he was extremely displeased that even this time, things were unfolding according to that guy’s plan.

In the end, didn’t he just make himself look foolish for bringing the army?

He could feel his mind consumed by the desire to strike a blow against that guy somehow.

‘In that case, even if it’s just the Guardians…’

The Guardian Deity’s Blessing only applies to the target and the caster.

Eliminating the Guardians with this force would be effortless.

He wanted to make things difficult for him by preventing him from summoning them for a while, but even that petty thought was quickly thwarted by the following words.

“Just in case you’re entertaining any other ideas… I’m just going to flip everything over.”

“…”

“You know? If I go around with a guaranteed first strike, I can kill your guild members in an instant. It’s going to be hard to assassinate me now, so why don’t you keep trying that?”

Seeing Verze’s eyes fixed on the Guardians with a sinister glint, Do-hyun preemptively shut down that option.

Gritting his teeth, Verze had no choice but to remain silent.

Because all those words were true.

Now that that guy has obtained the Guardian Deity’s Blessing, he’s hesitant to even attempt an assassination.

If he continues to allow him more time to grow, he will only suffer further losses.

“Instead, I’ll move the Guardians back too. Let’s fight, you and me. Let’s properly satisfy people’s curiosity.”

It would be better to end it now.

Moreover, that guy’s proposal is quite reasonable.

With 80 million people watching, there’s no way he can refuse in this situation. Just as his thoughts were gradually shifting.

Smirk-

Do-hyun, with a slight upturn of one corner of his mouth, drove in a wedge as if mocking him.

“Why? You said you thought you could beat me a few days ago… Are you getting scared now that the situation has come?”

“…Grrr.”

He had successfully ignited Verze’s already wavering resolve.

Verze, gnashing his teeth like a cornered beast, suddenly let out a hollow laugh.

“I’ll admit it. So this was the source of your confidence. I really couldn’t have imagined it.”

“I guess not.”

“But you only know one thing and not two. A one-on-one… You should have chosen to run away.”

The low, sunken voice was filled with cold fury.

When Verze lifted his head, which had been lowered, their eyes met.

The eyes, which were coldly sunken like his voice, contained both anger and unwavering conviction.

“You can never beat me.”

A conviction that he could only emerge victorious, regardless of the circumstances.

There were countless reasons to concede immediately, but Verze could see the most compelling one before his eyes.

[Unique ability ‘The Piercing Gaze’ is activated.]

[Identifies the gap with the target.]

[The opponent is of a lower caliber. Predicts an easy victory.]

The unique ability of the Myth God that had propelled Verze to his current position.

That ability was predicting victory.

“I’ll show you the difference in class.”

At Verze’s unwavering gaze, Do-hyun smirked and gripped the Thousand Transformations once more.

“Stop flapping your lips and come in.”

Taat!

Then, as if on cue, Verze moved.

Do-hyun also charged forward and swung the Thousand Transformations, which had transformed into a scythe.

Kwaang-!

The sword and scythe collided, and a deafening roar reverberated with a dazzling display of effects.

-It’s starting! Everyone be quiet!

-This is insane, seriously… I ordered chicken right away.

-Verze! Verze! Verze!

-Kaiser! Kaiser! Kaiser!

It was a resounding clash that signaled the commencement of their battle.

* * *

[Uses Sword Energy.]

[Uses Darkness Coating on Thousand Transformations.]

[The power of the Thunder Dragon dwells within the body, increasing all speeds for 100 seconds.]

[The power of lightning dwells within, granting a very low chance to inflict ‘Electrocution’ damage upon impact.]

The scythe, enveloped in dark sword energy, is swung, and the sword, also coated in sword energy, clashes against it.

Both combatants are swordsmen, hence the use of sword energy.

Clang! Kwaang-!

Pajijik-!

Each time their weapons met, a thunderous roar echoed, and sparks and sword energy erupted, creating a spectacular visual effect.

-……Wow

-What is it? This is crazy…

-Look at the level of combat. Is this real?

How many minutes had elapsed since the battle began?

It was a relatively short period, approximately 10 minutes, but it felt incredibly long to the viewers watching.

That’s because there wasn’t a single moment of respite during those 10 minutes.

Kwaang! Clang!

A deafening roar resounds each time the sword and scythe collide.

And with each subsequent clash, the scythe transforms into something new.

What was once a scythe was now a sword, then a shield for defense, and then a spear or dagger to precisely target vital points.

[Thousand Transformations is transformed into ‘Assassin’s Dagger’.]

When the ultra-close range became so constricted that it was difficult to reach, he stabbed with a dagger.

Clang! Screech-

[Thousand Transformations is transformed into ‘Raven’s Black Spear’.]

If he was pushed back significantly in a power struggle, he immediately converted it into a spear to prepare for a follow-up attack.

If his posture was compromised to the point where even that was challenging, he transformed it into a shield to block a large area.

After deflecting the attack, a dazzling display of offensive and defensive maneuvers ensued.

The battle, which incorporated not only weapons but also hands, feet, elbows, and knees, was intense. If one side attacked, the other immediately countered with an attack.

Thud, Swish-

Clang!

Then, instead of blocking, Do-hyun deliberately absorbed the impact and activated a powerful skill.

Verze, in turn, blocked that attack and launched a follow-up assault. Do-hyun, having already used Parry, simply grabbed his arm, pivoted his body, and executed a hip throw.

[Thousand Transformations is transformed into Assassin’s Dagger.]

As he attempted to stab the fallen Verze with the Thousand Transformations, now a dagger, Verze kicked him away and activated the Heroic-grade skill Sword Effector.

Due to the Sword Effector, which scattered intangible fragments in all directions as effects burst from the sword, Do-hyun was forced to create distance.

And at that precise moment.

[Uses Backstab.]

[A mark is created.]

“……!?”

Whoosh-!

Suddenly, Shinhyung vanished, and Verze, ambushed from behind by Do-hyun and suffering a cut to his side, retaliated instead of retreating.

The viewers, who had been holding their breath during the relentless offensive and defensive exchange, exclaimed in admiration as if releasing pent-up air.

-Look at how the weapon keeps changing. I’m really curious what kind of weapon that is.

-As expected, Kaiser’s trait is Weapon Master.

-They’re really fighting splendidly. So cool.

-Is this what it means to be sexy……. Look at those precise movements. I’m falling for him, seriously.

-Wow……. Is this real? My heart is pounding.

-The control is insane, for real.

-W, what is this;;;

And the guild members of the Hero Guild, who had come to witness this spectacle, were swallowing nervously with blank expressions.

‘……It’s amazing.’

‘A fight on par with the Master……. Is he really a guy who just entered the Empire?’

‘How long has it been? Since I’ve seen the Master fight so properly.’

‘This is the fight between the Master of the 100 Great Guilds and the man called the God of Demlock…… I can’t even interfere.’

It was truly an artistic battle.

Verze, who calmly continued his attacks,

Kaiser, who parried, deflected, or changed weapons to counter all those attacks.

The two’s offensive and defensive battle had raged for 10 minutes without pause, yet neither had inflicted a fatal wound on the other even once.

That’s why they couldn’t tear their eyes away from it.

‘How can he move like that?’

‘……Is that the man who was the God of Demlock?’

‘I know what it feels like to say it’s like art. How can he control the distance so well?’

‘I never thought it would be this much…….’

From Kaiser.

They had no choice but to stare blankly at Kaiser’s unexpected specifications and skills.