The Return Of The Genius Ranker Of All Times [EN]: Chapter 248

248.

Kwagagaga!

Is that what it feels like when a giant tsunami takes the form of light?

A massive shockwave, reaching the ceiling, filled the temple.

The intense glare made it hard to even open my eyes properly.

-Oh my… what’s going on?

-Ugh…!

-L, Liza!

Bbyook.

Jihad and Charlie covered their eyes with both hands.

Eliza, who had been peeking out of Do-hyun’s clothes, couldn’t bear it any longer and retreated back inside.

‘Wow… so that’s the damage of One-Hit Kill?’

Do-hyun was simply amazed by the spectacle unfolding before his eyes.

The Mirror of Vengeance was an item that unleashed a shockwave equivalent to the damage received.

In other words, the scene before him was a visual representation of One-Hit Kill’s damage.

And that wasn’t all.

[The Forgotten King resists using the Swordsmanship of the North.]

[One-Hit Kill ignores the blizzard.]

[One-Hit Kill ignores defense.]

As expected of a setting that ignored even invincibility, all of the Forgotten King’s resistances were being ignored.

It was truly One-Hit Kill.

If I had taken that head-on… Do-hyun shuddered and chuckled.

‘This is definitely a boss made to not be defeated.’

He would have surely failed without the Mirror of Vengeance.

He praised himself for not using it until now, admiring the spectacle for a few seconds.

As the light gradually subsided, Do-hyun squinted and focused.

The sight that emerged was devastating.

‘It’s like a ruin.’

As if the 38th parallel [a reference to the Korean Demilitarized Zone, implying a stark division] was drawn with Do-hyun as the center, the back and front were completely different places.

What lay before him was not just an old temple.

It was more like a temple that had been directly hit by a missile and turned into ruins.

Therefore, Do-hyun couldn’t help but be taken aback.

[I… must… execute…]

‘So, he’s not dying from my swordsmanship…’

It was because the King had endured through the shockwave without dying.

80% of his armor was shattered and tattered, and the skin revealed through the gaps was horribly disfigured with severe burns.

Steam was rising from his back due to the heat.

[The Supreme Realm you temporarily reached disappears.]

[The Forgotten King’s health is below 20%.]

The Supreme Realm he had struggled to reach disappeared, and his health was plummeting.

[I must… protect… the peace… of the Empire…]

Even so, the King stood firm.

Unlike his body, which seemed barely able to stand, his eyes shone brightly.

A chilling determination.

[Health is below 30%. Be careful.]

[Mana is below 20%. Be careful.]

But this side wasn’t much different.

Since the other side had more health, numerically, the remaining health on this side would be even less.

And that wasn’t all.

[The effect of the Tears of the Goddess has ended.]

[The duration has ended, and mana is consumed again.]

[Canceling Lightning Dragon Descent.]

[Canceling Darkness Veil.]

[The energy of the Lightning Dragon and Black Dragon that dwelled within the body disappears.]

The Tears of the Goddess had ended, and he had canceled the Black Lightning Dragon Mode, which could be considered the strongest buff.

With insufficient mana, he had to minimize buff skills.

Do-hyun shook his head.

“Haa.”

He had hoped to take him down easily with a perfect counterattack.

“Yeah, I thought it would be like this.”

It was nothing new.

His life had been one where nothing had ever been easy since the Dem Locke days.

There was no reason to be discouraged by something like this.

Swoosh- Thud.

Reaching out, the Thousand Transformations flew from afar and wrapped around his hand.

It was the Snow Flower Sword of the White Lion.

Although he had vowed to increase the proficiency of things other than swordsmanship, it seemed he was only using the sword, but what could he do?

-Liza…

-Master, can you do it?

Looking at Eliza and Jihad, who were worriedly asking, Do-hyun took a stance.

Can I do it?

The question was wrong.

“I have to.”

Whether I can or not, I will do it. There was no other choice.

With that determination, Do-hyun’s eyes gleamed as he gripped the sword again.

Reacting to Do-hyun’s will, a blizzard raged, and the white lion gently landed and growled softly.

Krrr…

Sseu-

Similarly, the King glared at this side, gripping his sword and taking a stance.

Behind him, the black and white lions bared their fangs, threatening.

[I… will execute… For the Empire…]

Do-hyun grinned fiercely at the King, who was still uttering the same words.

“Alright. Let’s go all the way.”

With those words, the two clashed.

* * *

[The Forgotten King’s health is below 1%.]

[The Forgotten King kneels on one knee.]

Thud.

After a frantic battle, the King knelt.

Do-hyun, standing alone before him, finally raised his head to look at the ceiling.

The ceiling was shattered like a ruin about to collapse.

[Health is below 5%.]

[Mana is below 10%.]

[Stamina is below 5%.]

Below it, depleted health and mana greeted him.

Looking down again, blood was splattered between the cracks in the broken floor.

It was the trace of a fierce battle.

“Damn, that was tough.”

Except for the beginning, this was the first time even his stamina had reached its limit.

If he hadn’t landed a proper hit at the end, things might have turned unfavorable for this side.

But in the end, he did it.

Stab-

Finally, Do-hyun’s sword pierced the King’s neck.

[You have defeated the Forgotten King.]

[Recorded in the Book of Adventures.]

[You have won against an overwhelmingly powerful enemy.]

[Unbelievable achievement. Reflected in the reward.]

[Measuring rewards.]

[Recognized for contributing to the 攻略 [gong lüe – strategy/guide] of the World Quest.]

[The World Quest 攻略 ranking changes.]

-1st place: Arthur

-2nd place: Kaiser

…….

-4th place: Ast

-5th place: Xiao

As the light faded from the King’s eyes, messages flooded Do-hyun’s mind.

Only then, having confirmed the end of the battle, did Do-hyun release the tension in his body.

At the same time, boisterous voices came from behind him.

-Master!! I knew you could do it!

-Lizariza!

-Kuh-huh~ I knew Master would win.

-Hmm? Weren’t you covering your eyes and stomping your feet, saying you couldn’t watch?

It was Jihad, Eliza, and Charlie.

-……Ahem, that was all a reaction for dramatic effect!

-You’ve been learning strange things from the apostles, and you seem to be getting more petty lately.

-Lizariza!

-Wow! Eliza, you shouldn’t do that! You were just hiding in my clothes.

-Liza?

-Tsk, tsk, look at her feigning innocence with those pure eyes again.

-Lizariza?

-My lord. This humble sword never doubted that my lord would succeed. You are indeed my lord.

-Sigh, yeah, I’m the only bad guy again.

They were the type to put on a skit whenever they opened their mouths, but they were still congratulating Do-hyun on his victory.

Do-hyun chuckled at their consistent behavior and turned his attention to the messages.

‘My contribution to the strategy [gong lüe – strategy/guide] must have been ridiculously high. To jump straight to 2nd place like that.’

Well, it was obvious since you needed to defeat the Forgotten King to get the Seal Stone.

Besides, he had just defeated a core boss with such bizarre difficulty, so he deserved at least this much.

‘But where is the Seal Stone?’

Just in case, he looked around, but the Eye of Truth didn’t activate.

‘Does it appear after the rewards are measured?’

A sense of foreboding washed over him as he wondered if it would only spit out one Seal Stone.

Whoosh-!

-Ugh!? What now!?

-Li, Liza!?

-Hmm…… that is……!

The guardians squinted at the sudden burst of dazzling light.

Do-hyun had the biggest reaction.

The source of the light was the Forgotten King.

A silhouette with a blue form was rising from the fallen Forgotten King, emitting a bright light.

[You have encountered the Soul of the Forgotten King.]

[Recorded in the Book of Adventures.]

The origin of the World Quest.

It was the soul of the Forgotten King.

-Are you the one who awakened me?

The eyes, sunken low like his voice, held Do-hyun’s gaze.

He didn’t feel the same venom and desperation as before.

However, he felt an unknown bitterness and affection.

-That sword…… I see. So you’ve been recognized by my friend. It seems he finally sacrificed his soul and made a contract with the Tower.

The soul muttered to himself and then asked.

-My friend. What was the Lion King’s end like?

“His last words, you mean?”

-When he entrusted everything to you, who had finished the trial, and disappeared.

“……He asked me to take care of you. To save his friend.”

-……I see.

‘Always worrying about others…….’

Do-hyun’s eyes also became strange as he looked at the King, who was trailing off.

He could roughly guess from their conversation.

‘That was the Lion King’s end.’

The reason the Lion King’s trial ended wasn’t simply because he found a suitable apostle.

It was because that was the contract.

-He was a truly foolish friend. To sacrifice himself for a friend who wouldn’t even remember his name, whose existence would be swallowed up, who wouldn’t even remember him.

Even after losing his body and his predetermined life ending, he sacrificed his soul to the Tower as the price for achieving what he wanted.

That meant the bond between the two was that strong.

Unable to find the words to answer, Do-hyun remained silent, and the King smiled bitterly and changed the subject.

-I said something unnecessary. He wouldn’t have sacrificed himself to hear such things. Since there’s no time, let’s get to the point……!?

The King’s soul, which was gradually fading, suddenly turned his head and looked out the door.

Then, with a serious expression, he gritted his teeth.

-This energy is his…… Could it be that the seal has been broken?

“…….”

-Ah…….

When Do-hyun nodded in affirmation, the King sighed sincerely.

-So, it has come to this. What was the guardian doing? Could it be that he was defeated?

“That’s not it.”

-Then why? What reason could the guardian have for not guarding the door? He wouldn’t move unless something stimulated the seal of the tomb.

“Ahem.”

Do-hyun, remembering the time he gleefully smashed the fragments of the disaster, coughed and subtly turned his head.

His conscience stung, but what was done was done.

Dealing with it was the priority.

Fortunately, the King seemed to understand and didn’t press further.

-No. With the seal broken, such things are not important. The fact that the seal is broken means the guardian must have sent someone to stop him. And that must be you, the one who awakened me. Is that correct?

“……Yes. I was told to obtain an artifact to seal the one who devours existence.”

-I see. The fact that you awakened me means you defeated me, albeit a half-self, who had lost his ego. I can trust you.

The King’s soul extended his hand, which was now half-disappeared.

Then, something crystallized at his fingertip and fell with a thud.

He quickly caught it; it was a hexagonal crystal.

[Hexagonal Star of Perfection]

-Rank: ??

-Description: An ultimate artifact created by the empire’s mages, who gathered together to fight against the past disaster.

It is very effective in sealing the abyss.

However, it must be accurately embedded in the target’s vital point.

-It is old and worn, so use it carefully as it can only be used once, hero.

“I understand.”

The King’s eyes, which had been satisfied with Do-hyun’s cheerful answer, changed.

The atmosphere suddenly shifted.

A strong emotion could be felt in the King’s eyes as he looked at Do-hyun with a serious face.

The King’s voice lowered.

-There is one more thing I would like to ask.

“……What is it?”

Do-hyun’s voice also became serious.

He could sense that something was amiss.

As expected, the words that followed were by no means trivial.

-The beings that appeared with the one who devours existence. The five demons who drove the empire to ruin and eventually imprisoned me, transferring my thoughts.

“…….”

-Do you know the Moon Order(月令團)? [Note: 月令團 (Yuè lìng tuán) – likely a specific group or organization, name left in pinyin with translation for context]

[You have heard the name of the Moon Order(月令團).]

[Acquire information related to the main quest.]

[You have learned about the five suns and moons, the nightmare beings that have been passed down since the distant past.]

It was about the main quest.

But that wasn’t the end of it.

-Judging by your reaction, you don’t know. The fact that the information planted deep within the imperial family before existence was swallowed hasn’t been released means someone destroyed the artifact.

The King’s eyes, which had been bitter, gradually filled with anger.

-If that’s possible, they must be in a high position in the empire. For example…… the imperial family.

“Could it be…….”

-Yes, someone in the imperial family is colluding with the abyss, or with them.

“……Good heavens.”

‘……It seems I’ve gotten involved in a major incident.’