The Return Of The Genius Ranker Of All Times [EN]: Chapter 253

253.

“Sparring, huh…”

It was a word he hadn’t heard in a long time.

And a word he missed.

Back in Demok, when there was no more content to do, he used to spar with his colleagues.

‘It’s a memory… but our first proper conversation is a fight.’

During their first reunion, the situation was too chaotic, and they didn’t have a chance to talk properly.

So, this could be considered their first real conversation.

But that first conversation is a sparring request…

‘Even after two years, he’s still the same. So consistent.’

But it didn’t feel bad. Rather, he felt comfortable knowing things hadn’t changed.

After all, a single exchange of blows is often more definitive than a hundred words.

More than anything, Dohyun was curious.

How much that sword-obsessed guy’s swordsmanship had improved, and what the exact level of a top-tier user in God of Seoul was.

‘I can check it out now.’

Dohyun smiled and replied.

“Sounds good. Should we do it right here?”

“Still putting on a show even when you look like you’re in bad shape.”

The Sword Saint, also unchanged, chuckled and continued.

“There’s a decent place. It would be good to recover and spar there.”

“You’ve even prepared the place where I’ll be defeated, so there’s no reason to refuse.”

“You’ll like it. It’s an excellent place to be the tomb of an old comrade.”

Sparks seemed to fly between the two as they locked eyes.

The brief war of nerves was interrupted. At the same time, the two raised the corners of their mouths and tapped their scabbards together.

“Then, I’ll lead the way.”

“Alright.”

The Sword Saint, with a smile, turned around first, and Dohyun followed.

“Oh, sparring. Sounds fun? Let’s follow them, old man.”

“It’s been a while since those two fought. I can’t miss a fight, which is the next best thing to watching a fire. Let’s go.”

The Empress and Astra, who had been watching the two with interest, weren’t about to miss this opportunity.

They hurried to follow the two out of the tomb, just as the Devourer began to sink beneath the ground as if diving.

Swish-

The scene of the disaster faded, leaving only the users who hadn’t yet left.

It was then that those who had been watching cautiously began to speak.

“Ugh, so annoying. Why is he so irritating?”

“Look at him with the Sword Saint and the Empress on either side. I’m so jealous. The world is so unfair. How can he have everything?”

Everyone was enthusiastic about Kaiser, but there were always minorities everywhere.

“I heard 190 million people watched the live stream. He must be making a ton of money. Sigh.”

“I wonder what reward he got from this world quest? It must be a legendary item, right?”

“Honestly, he’s just a game addict, so I don’t know why people are fawning over him so much. It’s annoying how he always shows up at the end like he’s the main character.”

Ordinary faces and somewhat short for men.

They were confident in their skills, but even that was mediocre, and they failed to join the top 10 guilds every time.

Their inferiority complex dominated their minds, and they had always wished for Kaiser to fail, so seeing him succeed made them incredibly jealous.

“Maybe it’s because he’s ugly under that mask. There are a lot of rumors like that, so maybe it’s true. Why else would he hide his face? Maybe he’s afraid his female fans who are screaming about how handsome he is will be disappointed when they see him.”

“Oh, that’s actually possible…”

They couldn’t say it in front of him, so they were harshly criticizing him after he left.

Swoosh-

“…th… ?”

“Huh? Why suddenly… Ack! What the hell!?”

A sound of something being cut off suddenly, and his friend trailed off.

The man turned his head and fell on his butt in shock.

The friend he had been talking to had his neck cleanly cut off and was collapsing.

Before he could scream at the horrifying sight, he felt a warm sensation on his neck.

“Uh, uh…?”

That was his last memory here.

His head fell off just like his friend’s, and a gray screen greeted him.

“Daring to… you insects…”

The blonde woman in a robe clicked her tongue and put the greatsword back into the scabbard on her back.

Her coldly hardened eyes were shining ominously.

But the moment those eerie eyes looked at the place where Kaiser had been just a moment ago, they turned into clear, sparkling eyes as if nothing had happened.

“Ah… you are as great as ever. I was a step late because the things I was preparing weren’t finished… but I think I can see you now.”

She closed her eyes, filled with faith, and put her hands together in prayer.

Then, the robe lifted slightly, revealing a flawless Western figure.

“I hope you like my little gift. My God.”

A fanatic, she had finally finished preparing to meet her God.

* * *

“…This is the sparring place?”

“That’s right. Is there a problem?”

The Sword Saint replied nonchalantly to the bewildered reaction.

Dohyun scratched his head and carefully scanned the scenery before him.

A space as large as a regular schoolyard.

Solid and clean walls and floors made of high-purity mana stones.

Expensive and ornate decorations embroidered throughout the walls.

As she said, it was a great place.

[Special Training Room for the Empire’s Sword]

“The Empire’s Sword… you mean the Sword Emperor?”

“That’s what they call him.”

The problem was that this was the Sword Emperor’s special training room.

This place was quite famous among swordsmen.

It was a training room designed and built directly by the Empire only for the Sword Emperor, and trespassing without permission could result in immediate execution.

“Is it okay to use this as you please?”

“It’s my master’s property, so there’s no way it would be a problem for his disciple to enter.”

The Sword Saint replied nonchalantly and went up to the training room.

“As my master’s only disciple, I have been granted permission from the Empire to use this place, so it’s fine. Don’t worry about unnecessary things and focus on the sparring.”

“If you say so…”

Dohyun decided to put his worries aside.

He wasn’t as reckless as Gugu.

“Huh? Then why did you never let me in?”

“Do you really need to ask? If I let you in, you’d obviously cause trouble. What would I trust you with?”

“Trouble? What are you talking about? What could I possibly do in the training room?”

“Well, there’s no bomb squad that would let a terrorist with a bomb into the airport just because they say they don’t intend to cause an accident.”

“…Then why are you letting me in now?”

“Because there are many guards to watch you now.”

“Puhaha! Ah, this guy’s metaphors are amazing.”

Astra burst out laughing, but the Empress frowned with a blank face as if she didn’t understand. Dohyun ignored them and stepped into the training room.

Only then did the Sword Saint smile faintly and take out a sword.

A sword with the handle, blade, and guard all dyed black.

Even though it was only black, the sword with a strange light was clearly a Black Iron Sword.

‘A sword that exerts a stronger force the more it absorbs the user’s mana.’

The degree to which it exerted power depended on how pure the Black Iron was, and with that appearance, it was definitely top-notch.

But Dohyun, looking at such a sword, seemed dissatisfied.

“Why are you taking that out? I was hoping to see Cham Myeol [Sword Emperor’s legendary sword].”

“What obvious thing are you saying…? I can’t use something like that in a sparring match to compete in swordsmanship.”

Extreme (極) – Cham Myeol (斬滅)do.

One of the three symbolic swords of the Sword Emperor, the Seven Rivers (七江) Sword and the best sword on the continent.

It was a well-known story that the Sword Saint, the only disciple, possessed the sword that cuts and destroys everything.

However, even that sword, which every swordsman dreamed of, had one weakness.

“And… I can’t bring it even if I wanted to right now. I’ll take it out when I have the chance later.”

Once a month, the energy of Cham Myeol would surge, so he had to forcibly refine it to suppress the energy.

Judging from the fact that he didn’t bring it to the Forgotten Tomb, it seemed that time was now.

It was a shame, but Dohyun shook his head.

‘There will be other opportunities.’

And if he wanted to see the Sword Saint’s skills and level, it would be better without Cham Myeol.

Dohyun, holding Cheonbyeon, took a stance, and it soon turned into a white sword containing a white lion and snowflakes.

[Cheonbyeon (千變) is transformed into ‘White Lion’s Snowflake Sword’.]

“It’s always a fascinating weapon. A weapon that transforms into any form…”

“Well, I’m using it effectively.”

“Hoo… I see. So, are you ready?”

The Sword Saint’s eyes, which had been looking with interest, suddenly changed.

The eyes, which had a strange sharpness, shone sharply like a well-honed knife.

His whole body, from the hand holding the sword to every step, was eerie as if he had become one with the sword.

Sword and I as one (劍我一體) [a state of perfect harmony between the swordsman and their weapon].

‘He’s gotten stronger.’

The sharp yet well-refined appearance was chilling.

How much more terrifying would the swordsmanship that would unfold in that state be?

Dohyun, with a smile on his face as if he was having fun, grabbed Cheonbyeon, and a voice was heard.

“Shall we begin then?”

“Yeah.”

At the same time, a thunder dragon (雷龍) [a powerful lightning-based attack] fell from the ceiling.

* * *

Crackle-

Clang! Clang! Squeak-

Numerous sword strikes echoed over the floor where the current remained from the traces of the Thunder Dragon Descent.

Sparks flew each time the sword was scraped, and soon the neck became chilly with a sword bent at a bizarre angle.

‘Damn it, that was supposed to be a critical hit.’

Activating Thunder Dragon Descent from the start, and a surprise attack taking advantage of the confusion!

It was a sparring match to compete in swordsmanship, but it was a critical strategy chosen because buff skills could be used, but it was instantly blocked by the Sword Saint’s sword.

Softness Overcomes Hardness (柔能制剛) [a principle emphasizing yielding to overcome strength].

The Dance of the Willow.

Dohyun was hit by the swordsmanship he had learned.

If Dohyun hadn’t used the Dance of the Willow to deflect the counter, his neck would have been pierced at that moment.

After that, it was just a pure sword-to-sword fight.

Tap!

Clang-

That was the scene that unfolded now.

The dizzying sword strikes constantly swung and stimulated the ears.

If he stepped back, she would follow, and if he pushed, she would swing her sword as he pushed.

The basics of swordsmanship are footwork. They were focused on grabbing each other’s feet and taking away space.

And in that fight, Dohyun felt overwhelmed for the first time in a long time.

‘It’s still crazy swordsmanship. No, it’s even smoother.’

Dohyun had never beaten her in a swordsmanship sparring match.

He could spar with her, but it was impossible to beat her with swordsmanship.

Swoosh- Tuck!

Softness Overcomes Hardness (柔能制剛), Airspace.

The 4M diameter space around her.

In terms of swordsmanship, she was invincible in that space.

Clang!!

Overlord Sword (霸道一劍) [a powerful and domineering sword technique],

Cataclysm.

The sword that had been flowing softly suddenly raged as if tearing the sky apart.

With only two of her four swordsmanships, Dohyun couldn’t easily break through her shield.

But that was the same for her.

Swoosh-

[Parrying successful.]

[Deflect the attack.]

Dohyun’s parrying was like a ghost, deflecting attacks that could be fatal.

The Sword Saint, who had been pushing, frowned slightly.

It was a strange feeling.

“I’m clearly pushing, but I can’t land a single blow. Rather, the distance only widens as a result of the larger movements, so it feels like I’m dealing with a mirage.”

“That bastard’s got a wuxia [Chinese fantasy fiction] disease again. The way he expresses it is amazing.”

The Empress grumbled from behind, and the Sword Saint’s face blushed slightly, but he ignored it and hardened his expression.

The Sword Saint, who had suddenly stopped, turned his body to the side, pointed his sword with one hand, and said.

“If we continue like this, there will be no end. How about we stop feeling each other out and do it properly now?”

At that, Dohyun stopped for the first time.

She was right. Fighting vaguely like this would only end with a lingering feeling.

More than anything…

‘I’m being pushed too hard in pure stats.’

She is a top-tier player.

He expected there to be a difference, but the difference was bigger than he thought. His grip was trembling every time he clashed swords.

Considering that she hasn’t even used her full power…

‘So, the level of a top-tier user is roughly this… I still have a long way to go.’

Dohyun smiled and straightened his posture.

A posture that was like kendo [Japanese swordsmanship], holding the sword with both hands.

“Hoo?”

The Sword Saint’s eyes sparkled at the atmosphere that was different from before.

It was right after that that her interested eyes widened.

Cold air began to leak out around Dohyun, and snowstorms began to rage as crystals gradually formed.

A white lion landed in the middle.

The Sword Saint’s face, which had been calm, was rarely filled with excitement at the sight of the giant lion baring its fangs and growling.

“Finally taking it out. Yes, that was the swordsmanship. A swordsmanship that I have never seen even after wandering for a long time to see the end of the sword… !”

It was a natural reaction.

For her, who was obsessed with swordsmanship, facing a new swordsmanship would be an indescribably exciting thing.

“Yeah. So, you take out more too.”

“…Good. I want to feel that swordsmanship properly.”

Sreung-

The Sword Saint, putting the sword in the scabbard, took a drawing stance and slowly closed her eyes.

When she opened her eyes again, her sword was different.

At first glance, it looked similar, but it had a sharpness that could not be compared.

Drawing Sword (拔刀) Technique [a quick-draw sword technique].

One Sword (一劍) [a single, decisive strike].

The first strike that left an indelible scar on the body of the Devourer.

Dohyun’s instinct was telling him. That sword is dangerous. But that’s why Dohyun took a step forward.

[Reversing Heaven Stage (逆天期) [a state of defying fate].]

[Using the 1st Form Beginning (始) [the initial form of a powerful technique].]

Stomp.

The swordsmanship of one who defied the will of heaven and vowed to overcome any disaster and adversity and finally destroy it.

It was a swordsmanship that exerted a stronger force the more difficult the path ahead.

With one step, he was filled with the power of Mount Tai [a symbol of immense weight and pressure].

With another step, energy circulated within his body, and explosive energy soared.

At the same time, the Sword Saint’s sword flashed.

Kwaaaang!

The moment they collided like that.

A violent shockwave swept through the training room.