The Return Of The Genius Ranker Of All Times [EN]: Chapter 225

225.

Clang! Bang!

Each clash of swords unleashed a deafening roar, like an explosion.

Jihad, positioned far back, squinted as dust billowed and fragments scattered in all directions.

-Ugh…! It’s hard to keep my eyes open with all these fragments flying around.

-Lizaliza…….

-They’re going to destroy everything!

All I can do now is stay back and out of the way.

The sheer destructive force, palpable even from this distance, spoke volumes about the level of combat unfolding.

Charlie clenched his fist.

-…Truly the power of an Eternal Knight. To be unable to aid my lord in such a moment… there is no greater disgrace for the sword of my lord.

As a knight, being forced to watch from afar in this situation was utterly humiliating.

Jihad, who had been grumbling, swallowed hard.

-We can win this, right…? I don’t think I’ve ever seen Master struggle this much. Or are my eyes deceiving me again?

-Hmm…….

Normally, Charlie would have firmly trusted and believed in Do-hyun, but this time, he couldn’t find the right words and simply groaned.

Then, he glanced at their fight.

Clang! Bang! Claaang!

Both clashed swords without an inch of retreat.

[Seven Blows Overlapping]

[Maximum overlap achieved. All amplification values are maximized.]

[You can continue the Onslaught if used within 1 second.]

It had been a while since he had stacked ten blows.

Each time the Onslaught Strike, stacked to the maximum, landed, the surrounding walls were blown away, and the floor caved in.

Yet, neither of them yielded.

They pressed on like massive waves, as if to devour each other.

A textbook battle of attrition.

At first glance, they seemed evenly matched, but Charlie could tell.

‘…My lord is being pushed back.’

Do-hyun was barely managing to parry.

Like a tightrope walker, he was barely maintaining the balance of offense and defense.

It was a fight where one mistake would lead to being swallowed whole.

[Using Parry to deflect the attack.]

[Cooldown in effect.]

[Cooldown in effect.]

If he hadn’t used Parry every time the cooldown refreshed, it wouldn’t have been possible to even contend.

But even that wasn’t perfect.

[Failed to perfectly deflect the attack, unable to completely negate the damage.]

[Receiving reduced damage.]

[Health is below 50%.]

‘Damn it, this is the first time I haven’t been able to perfectly deflect.’

The gradually reduced damage had already depleted his health to 50%.

Meanwhile, that guy still looked fresh.

Unlike other bosses, his health bar wasn’t even visible, so I couldn’t tell how much it had decreased.

…No. Has it even decreased?

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a message about his health decreasing or seen him bleed?

‘No, he’s still a boss. He’ll die if I keep hitting him.’

Do-hyun steadied his wavering mind and steeled himself.

The massive saurian he saw in Dem Locke [a location], the great sage Lich [an undead creature], were all strong and tough enough to make him lose his will to fight.

But in the end, he defeated them.

Just like the Iron-Blooded Magic Saurian, that guy would eventually fall if he kept hitting him.

‘It would be manageable if it weren’t for the Guardian’s Blessing….’

Even with the slightest, most natural push, he wouldn’t budge, whether he stabbed him with his sword or pushed him away, making it even more difficult.

It felt like facing a giant boulder.

Moreover, that boulder was constantly trying to crush him without falling.

This was the worst possible matchup for Do-hyun.

It negated one of Do-hyun’s greatest strengths: psychological warfare through distance control. At the same time, it was a familiar fighting style.

Clang! Claaang!

‘Ugh, it’s like fighting Gugu for real.’

The best physical player Do-hyun knew, using an amazing strategy of forcing a close-quarters brawl.

That was exactly how the fighting cock, Gugu Dakgugu, fought.

The best course of action in such cases was to avoid engaging and keep your distance, but…….

[Using Lightning Teleport.]

Zap- Thud!

The moment he created distance, the guy immediately kicked off the ground and used a dash skill.

[The Forgotten King, ‘?? King’s Rotted Flesh,’ uses ‘Surging Strike.’]

A skill that launched a powerful strike along the dash path, like a spring recoiling.

As a hero-grade skill of the knight class, its instantaneous speed was beyond imagination.

And the advantage of that skill lay in what followed.

[Touched by the shockwave of Surging Strike.]

[Movement speed greatly reduced for 5 seconds, and movement skills cannot be used for 2 seconds.]

Touching even a bit of the drill-like shockwave surrounding the sword meant being forced to stop and continue the fight.

Gugu was very envious of that skill.

-Ugh! Why doesn’t the Berserker [a warrior class] have something like Surging Strike? If I had that, I could block that damn movement… You just wait. I’m going to change classes and come back.

-A Berserker becoming a Knight… There’s no job less fitting than that.

-What, you wanna go? Why are you picking a fight all of a sudden instead of continuing your swordsmanship training?

He always said that if he had that skill, his win rate against Do-hyun wouldn’t be like this.

And Do-hyun somewhat agreed.

He had been able to win easily from some point on because he fought often and read his psychology and patterns to some extent.

Even if Gugu only gained one skill like that, it would become quite difficult.

Of course, it was an absurd assumption, so he lightly ignored it…….

Clang! Claaang!

“Ugh, get off me!”

-…….

Even as he resisted in horror, the guy didn’t show any signs of letting go, like a leech.

If he used a movement skill, he would follow and block it.

Even if he used Backstab, he would eventually be caught.

He couldn’t even push him away.

[The Forgotten King, ‘?? King’s Rotted Flesh,’ uses ‘Royal Smash.’]

[Warning.]

‘Crazy… Even Royal Smash?’

Watching the flashy effects erupt, Do-hyun gritted his teeth and threw himself to the side.

Flash-

—!!

At the same time, he felt a dazzling golden light engulfing his back.

A legendary knight skill that dealt massive damage over a wide area. As the knight’s only area-of-effect skill, its power was beyond imagination.

Do-hyun swallowed hard as he saw the floor half-destroyed.

[Prolonged exposure to the Ice Stream has greatly slowed the movements of the Forgotten King, ‘?? King’s Rotted Flesh.’]

[The target’s level is too high.]

[The slowing effect is removed.]

‘I lived thanks to the Ice Stream. If that guy had been just a little faster, I would have been swept away.’

The Ice Stream had momentarily slowed the guy’s movements, causing his focus to be off.

Otherwise, the ring’s barrier would have been activated immediately.

In this situation, it was only natural to have doubts.

‘…Is this even meant to be cleared?’

An Eternal Knight of mid-tier level, whose health might not even be decreasing, using the Guardian’s Blessing and Royal Smash?

This didn’t make any sense.

If it weren’t for Do-hyun, the game would have ended a long time ago.

‘Why is a knight even using the Guardian’s Blessing in the first place? A dealer using a tank skill is cheating!’

He was using skills from all sorts of jobs while being so hypocritical, but Do-hyun was frustrated.

He was just taking the test quietly(?).

He was resentful of why the difficulty of the hidden piece, which had been opened arbitrarily after deleting the test, was like this.

Fortunately, the fact that the guy didn’t even have reason and was just using skills and swinging attacks like a beast following its instincts was a silver lining.

If he had reason, he would have been a bloody mess already.

‘Calm down.’

Do-hyun tried to calm his mind and thought calmly.

He couldn’t give up like this.

Even Myulsal, who had failed to clear the hidden stage in the end, eventually received a recommendation and met the Emperor, but Do-hyun hadn’t.

Do-hyun hadn’t passed all the tests, but the tests had been deleted.

‘I don’t know what will happen if I fail here.’

So he had to catch that guy for sure and clear this ridiculous hidden stage.

He had to get a recommendation and meet the Prince.

‘What options do I have left? Should I use that?’

The combination of Lightning Dragon Descent and Darkness Veil that had decorated the finale when fighting Verze.

It was the best option he had, but Do-hyun shook his head.

‘There will be no going back after using that.’

A skill that could only be activated by forcibly using the Tears of God.

Even then, he could only use it for a short time, so he had to use it as a last resort.

He couldn’t use it on that guy, who still looked fresh.

‘Backstab and Lightning Teleport don’t work. I’ve already used Sword Aura’s Slash. Then what else is there?’

Lightning Dragon Descent and Guardian’s Blessing were already in use, and even that powerful slash didn’t work.

Movement skills were useless, and of course, Rising Dragon Kick wouldn’t deal any damage.

The Onslaught Strike’s knockback effect was almost non-existent.

[Failed to continue the attack, the Onslaught’s overlap state is canceled.]

Moreover, the overlap had been canceled because he had to avoid Royal Smash, so he had to stack it again.

There was no way. The item’s special effects were all buffs.

…Then should I give up?

‘…No. I have to fight with my gums if I don’t have teeth [fight with everything I have].’

No, he had no intention of giving up with just this.

Skills don’t work? Item effects are ambiguous?

So what?

Then he had to do it tenaciously, even if it meant using his body, to get even a little closer.

It wasn’t too late to give up after that.

“Sigh… Hooo….”

Do-hyun lowered his head and regulated his breathing.

He felt his momentarily developed hearing focusing on the sounds. The sound of blood flowing, the trivial noises around him, and even Jihad’s surprised breathing.

All his senses became clear. It was the feeling he had when fighting the Iron-Blooded Magic Saurian.

The feeling Do-hyun felt when he fell into a state of extreme concentration.

-Why are you honing your swordsmanship in a game? That’s a funny question. Because I want to see the end of the sword.

-…Well, your swordsmanship is great. But it seems like you’re more focused on swordsmanship than skill combinations. Wouldn’t it be better to research skills more?

One day, Sword Saint had said this in response to Uncle Bora’s question.

-The number of skills is ultimately limited to 13. Even if it increases later, the limit is still clear.

-But swordsmanship is not. The infinite swordsmanship I unfold is not a skill, but my own skill unfolded by my own power.

Swordsmanship was the only way to the top.

Since modern people can’t train magic with their own power, training martial arts is the only answer.

Do-hyun was momentarily tempted by Sword Saint’s conviction.

Certainly, Do-hyun was no match for Sword Saint when it came to swordsmanship.

His swordsmanship, which had devoted everything to the sword, had already surpassed the realm of martial arts and was at a level that could be called a skill.

-…That. Can you teach me that?

Sword Saint smiled and replied to Do-hyun, who had asked cautiously.

-As much as you want.

Thud!

-But there won’t be enough time to teach you everything. Kaiser, I will only teach you one swordsmanship.

[The Forgotten King, ‘?? King’s Rotted Flesh,’ uses ‘Surging Strike.’]

The Forgotten King surged forward, stabbing with a drill-like sword.

He could see the whole process at a glance.

Which direction the sword was rotating, what the footwork was like, what the shoulder movement was like, where he was aiming to stab.

Even where that guy’s red eyes were looking.

-Using this means that the enemy has a stronger power than you. It’s uncertain whether you can win by using this… but I’m sure you can.

Recalling Sword Saint’s words, Do-hyun took a step forward.

Then he slowly extended his sword.

A very slow, powerless stab that felt so slow it felt light.

But the moment it came into contact with the destructive Surging Strike that seemed to pierce everything.

Softness Overcomes Hardness [a martial arts principle].

The Willow’s Dance.

Rustle-

-…Huh?

-Oh my god!

The Forgotten King’s sword lost its balance and wavered.

The Surging Strike, which had come into contact with Do-hyun’s sword that moved very gently, was swaying from side to side according to Do-hyun’s will.

Like a willow tree swaying.

Even in a situation where he had lost his balance and was scattered softly, the Forgotten King somehow managed to stab with his overwhelming physical abilities,

[Using Parry.]

[Successfully performed a Perfect Parry.]

Do-hyun wasn’t going to be hit by a blind attack that had lost its center.

Do-hyun, who had succeeded in a perfect parry for the first time, smiled and took a step as he turned his body.

Then the guy’s body, which had been tilting its head, collapsed powerlessly,

Thud.

-No matter who the opponent is. I can definitely land one hit.

Do-hyun’s sword stabbed the guy’s shoulder, who was kneeling as if it were the most natural thing to do.

Then blood spurted from the guy’s body.

He had succeeded in landing a proper blow for the first time.

Then, at the same time, a message popped up.

[Dealt complete damage with pure power, not skills.]

‘I finally landed a hit.’

It was when Do-hyun smiled as he saw the message that he had finally dealt damage.

Swish.

“……!?”

The guy, who had stopped abruptly, raised his head and stared intently at Do-hyun.

In a strange atmosphere, the moment Do-hyun flinched, the guy slowly raised his body while being stabbed by the sword.

Then, for the first time, he calmly grabbed the sword with both hands.

Saaa-

Then the atmosphere changed rapidly.

At that, the joy of landing a blow was fleeting, and a strange tension swept through his whole body.

Ding-!

A message popped up with a cheerful notification.

[Proved the qualities of a knight.]

[The Forgotten King’s test begins upon meeting the conditions.]

[Recognized for swordsmanship by a target of higher level than oneself.]

[The path to Signature Swordsmanship is opened.]

[Signature Swordsmanship Quest, ‘The Forgotten King’s Swordsmanship,’ has been generated.]

[Take the Forgotten King’s sword.]

“……What?”

An entirely unexpected message.