The Return Of The Genius Ranker Of All Times [EN]: Chapter 213

213.

Whoosh- Flap!

Kwaaaang!

-His power is insane.

-Is that really just a trait? Why is it so strong? Legendary skills are nothing compared to this.

-It’s a transcendent trait. And it’s a fire sword, so… enough said. He’s famous for being a monster in PvP [Player versus Player, online combat between players].

-Sword aura and fire sword… Ugh, the stacking damage is terrifying.

With each swing of the Sword of Burning Will, flames erupted, scorching the air.

Everything touched by the flames was burned away.

In just a few minutes of battle, the surroundings had turned into a sea of fire.

Standing amidst it all were Kaiser, covered in blood and scorched, and Verze, slowly approaching and tightening the noose.

“Where did your composure go, Kaiser? You look like a rat scurrying away.”

“……Well. For someone who says that, you haven’t hit me properly.”

“Heh heh… Is that how it seems?”

Do-hyun tried to provoke him in response to Verze’s taunts, but Verze remained unfazed.

Instead, he leisurely spread his arms as if telling him to look around.

“Take a look around you. There’s nowhere left for you to run.”

“……”

He was right.

More than half of the stage, which was increasingly smaller due to the narrowing encirclement, was burning.

This was the terrifying aspect of the Sword of Burning Will.

The fire from the fire sword came from burning will.

It couldn’t be extinguished by ordinary means and easily spread, setting the terrain ablaze with inextinguishable flames.

Once it spread, you had to suffer from a nasty damage-over-time effect.

[The Venom King’s Constitution is activated.]

[You have taken continuous damage from the same attack for a certain period of time.]

[The effect of Saturation is activated, treating the damage as poison.]

[You are immune to poisons below Hero rank due to the effect of Impenetrability.]

Fortunately, Do-hyun had the Venom King’s Constitution, so he didn’t have to worry about the damage-over-time effects.

“A truly fascinating ability. To be immune to continuous damage… Is that your unique skill? Or perhaps a graduation reward.”

Verze said, always amazed, but soon shrugged.

“Well, it doesn’t matter. My fire sword isn’t primarily focused on continuous damage anyway.”

“……”

It wasn’t a bluff.

The continuous damage was just an added bonus.

The true power of the fire sword lay in giving the wielder immense strength, especially when the surroundings were ablaze or when a strong will was manifested.

[The will of fire is immense.]

[All stats, damage, and speed are greatly increased in proportion to the will of fire.]

Thanks to that, the current Verze was completely different from before.

He was overwhelming in every aspect, displaying power so strong that even blocking resulted in damage.

Therefore, Do-hyun had no choice but to focus on evasion.

‘If I touch the flames, the fire will spread, and then he’ll just get stronger.’

Even if he didn’t suffer from the continuous damage, he had to avoid the fire.

To think that this was the effect of just one trait.

‘Is this transcendence?’

If Verze, who had only experienced transcendence once, was this strong, how powerful were the masters of the top 10 guilds?

The unimaginable power brought a smile to Do-hyun’s lips.

It was the first time in a long time, since reaching the peak in Demonic Land, that he felt such competitiveness and anticipation.

A new path he didn’t know. Countless strong individuals.

Thump, thump.

His heart raced at the prospect of stepping down from the throne and becoming a challenger on a quest to conquer all, but now wasn’t the time for that.

“You shouldn’t be distracted right now.”

Verze, who had approached with such speed that he couldn’t even react properly, slashed Do-hyun’s side.

Whoosh-

Flames erupted from the cut, and a warning message appeared.

[Health is below 20%.]

[Warning!]

‘Has it been about 2 minutes?’

In just 2 minutes, 30% of his health had been depleted.

It had happened in such a short time that the cooldown for Lightning Dragon Advent hadn’t even reset yet.

On the other hand, that bastard’s health was still over 50%.

He had been trying to counter and attack as much as possible, but since activating that fire sword, it had been impossible to close the gap.

[Mana is below 15%.]

As a result, he had no choice but to pour out mana in a short amount of time, exceeding the level that the Magic Emperor’s mana circuits could handle.

‘The Guardian’s Blessing is draining mana even faster.’

How could he keep getting skills that continuously drained mana like this?

Thanks to that, both his health and mana were running out.

-Ah… Is it over like this?

-What do we do now? If he loses here, the endless execution will begin.

-Is it possible with the Guardian’s Blessing?

-Is the Guardian’s Blessing invincible? If they’re determined to carry out the execution, it’s not like there’s no way to do it.

“Damn it, what is that guy doing, so confidently starting a one-on-one fight?”

In a situation that was clearly a crisis, the atmosphere in the chat room was gloomy, and Ast, watching it, was anxiously shaking his leg.

It had been a long time since he had seen that guy being pushed back so much.

“Well, there were no transcendences or traits in Demonic Land, so it’s his first time experiencing it… Aish, that’s why I asked him so many times if he could handle it.”

After all, hearing about it and actually experiencing it were different things.

He had confidently entrusted it to him because he seemed so confident even after hearing that Verze had transcended, but if he had known it would be like this, he would have put him in the guild sooner.

Ast scratched his head vigorously and glared at the tablet screen as if he would pierce through it.

“Hey, you’re not the type to lose so easily. Show me something… Huh?”

It was then.

Ast’s leg shaking stopped as he noticed something.

He stared at the screen for a while, and his eyes lit up.

“That guy… That look is familiar.”

Not just the look.

Even that annoying expression unique to him was familiar.

And soon, Ast was able to realize the source of that familiarity.

It was familiar because he had seen it so often. Kaiser had made that look and expression countless times.

“Heh, that bastard. He’s still hiding something even in this situation?”

And whenever he did that, he would always pull off something extraordinary.

When he first encountered the Red Dragon.

When the boss appeared while he was on the verge of death.

Even when everyone was shouting that he would lose, when he single-handedly stormed into the guild and wreaked havoc.

He had always produced amazing results after making that expression.

‘I don’t know what he’s hiding, but if you have a way, show it quickly. Don’t make people anxious.’

It was at that moment.

As if hearing his thoughts, a red aura suddenly began to emanate from Kaiser’s body, who had stopped abruptly.

“Wait, that’s…?”

Ast’s eyes widened.

It was because it was a skill that was too familiar.

-Huh? What’s that?

-There it is, Madness!

-Oh oh, is he showing it?

-Kaiser’s 2nd phase, the symbol of Madness, has appeared?

It was the effect of Madness being activated, the signature skill of Kkukku Chicken [likely a humorous nickname or alias].

It had now become a skill that signaled Kaiser’s 2nd phase.

Kaiser often turned things around with Madness when he seemed to be losing.

But this time felt different.

“Madness… I finished analyzing your patterns a long time ago.”

“…….”

“That level isn’t a threat!”

Verze, fixated on Kaiser, wouldn’t have missed such information.

He had already calculated everything.

It was true that Kaiser was decked out in +12 gear and had unexpectedly high stats due to his legendary skill, but even considering that, he was still inferior to him.

Flash- Bang!

Verze moved faster than Kaiser, whose speed had increased with Madness, and grabbed his arm.

Gripping it tightly as if to crush it, Verze wore a bitter smile.

“That’s a pattern no different from your ultimate move. I’ve already figured out the activation conditions. Unless it’s a boss, no one would willingly fall for that.”

Saying that, Verze glanced to the side.

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

[Analyzing the gap between targets.]

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

‘As expected. I have the advantage.’

The Piercing Gaze doesn’t just analyze stats.

Stats and strength change during battle, and Verze’s unique ability was to grasp all of that in real-time.

Although it had the disadvantage of only activating when directly encountering the target.

Using this, Verze could judge whether he would win or lose a fight and act accordingly.

‘This is a winning fight.’

And this was one of those times.

Finally, he could make Kaiser, that damn bastard, kneel.

[The Sword of Burning Will senses the user’s strong will.]

[The fire of will becomes incredibly immense.]

[Do you want to use Strike?]

Whoosh-

The fire sword, reacting to that will, emitted an even more brilliant flame.

“It was fun, Kaiser. Let’s meet again when you revive. But then, you won’t be able to use any more tricks.”

At the same time, Verze’s fire sword swung.

Sizzle-

Boom!

A huge fire demon covered the front, and a pillar of fire soared.

[Sword Aura, Strike has been used.]

[Fire Strike of the Sword of Burning Will has been used.]

Overlapping Strike.

A burst damage skill that was essentially Verze’s ultimate.

Kaiser, who probably had less than 20% health left, couldn’t withstand that damage.

‘Hehehe… This is the end, Kaiser.’

At that moment, when Verze was convinced of his victory.

Verze’s lips, which had been lifting with a bitter smile, hardened at the silhouette vaguely visible beyond the pillar of fire.

The owner of the black silhouette reflected in his shaking pupils was none other than Kaiser.

Step, step.

Contrary to expectations, Kaiser was surprisingly unharmed.

Without even a trace of being scorched by the fire, he was walking slowly through the pillar of fire.

“…How the hell.”

It was absurd.

This was a critical burst damage skill that even ogres couldn’t withstand.

The strongest damage skill that could only be used once a day.

And that guy who had just crossed over to the Empire, a guy with only 20% health left, was withstanding it?

The barrier that guy often used couldn’t withstand that level.

Of course, Doyun hadn’t withstood it.

[Tears of God has been used.]

[Enters an invincible state for 2 seconds. (Cooldown: 90 minutes)]

‘If I didn’t have this, that would have been really dangerous just now.’

Tears of God, received as a reward for graduating Pratel [presumably a prestigious academy or institution] in 1st place and enhanced to S rank.

He had simply ignored it with its invincibility effect.

2 seconds.

It wasn’t a long time, but if timed well, it could withstand any attack once.

“You’re too predictable. Who would let you hit them if you advertise that you’re going to use your ultimate like that?”

In that sense, enduring Verze’s strike, which he directly announced he would use, was a piece of cake.

“…I don’t know what tricks you used, but it doesn’t matter. You’re low on health and mana.”

Verze, unaware of this fact, was briefly flustered by the incomprehensible situation but quickly regained his composure.

He was just flustered; the situation wasn’t bad.

No, it was rather good.

He just wanted to show the public an impactful finish, but nothing would change even without the strike.

‘Rather, now that he’s revealed his hand, I have the advantage.’

The unique ability he used again was still saying that he was at an advantage.

There would be no surprises. That’s what he thought.

“Mana? Who’s low on it?”

“…?”

Until blue droplets formed under Kaiser’s eyes.

[The second ability of Tears of God is used.]

[Temporarily does not consume mana. (Cooldown: 70 minutes)]

The second ability of Tears of God.

This was the real hidden card that Doyun was aiming for.

“Now I can finally use it properly.”

Doyun grinned and gripped Cheonbyeon [likely a weapon name] tightly.

[The Sign of the Holy King is used.]

[The power of faith is activated, reducing the cooldown time of all skills by 65%.]

[Thunder Dragon Descent can be used.]

…….

[Dark Coating can be used.]

The skill combination that he couldn’t use when catching Luidra [likely a monster or boss name] due to lack of mana.

It consumed such an extreme amount of mana that he couldn’t easily use it even after obtaining the Mana Circuit of the Magic King, but now he could activate it without worry.

[Thunder Dragon Descent is used.]

Thunder Dragon Descent activated as always.

But it was a little different from usual.

[Dark Coating is used on Thunder Dragon Descent.]

[The Thunder Dragon is affected by Dark Coating and gains dark properties.]

[Approaching the power of the Black Dragon through an abnormal route.]

[The effects of dark properties are additionally applied, possessing both the aura of the Thunder Dragon and the Black Dragon.]

After numerous messages, black sparks flew in the sky, summoning dark clouds.

—–!!!

Blue lightning and black lightning flashed and fell above Doyun.

“Aaaagh!”

“Sh, Sh*t, what is this!?”