The Return Of The Genius Ranker Of All Times [EN]: Chapter 273

273.

Demian Alexander.

The iron-blooded Tanker who never wavers in any emergency.

It was no exaggeration to say that the reason he reigned as the strongest Tanker was because of this.

He had outstanding talent and sense, but the most important thing for a Tanker was judgment.

And what was directly connected to that judgment was calmness.

‘I see how things have turned out.’

He could vividly see the battlefield that had unfolded until just now.

Kaiser, who was noticeably exhausted, though he didn’t show it. On the other hand, Empress, who looked relatively refreshed. And Marpard, who was staggering in front of such Empress, and Lavaon, who was panting.

‘Kaiser drew aggro [aggression; in gaming, it refers to a character’s ability to attract enemy attention], and Empress fought Marpard.’

It was clear from the circumstances.

That’s why it was surprising.

What on earth did she do to keep so many people tied up?

Even considering she was an All-Master, it was an unbelievable result.

‘I’m glad I hurried just in case.’

If he had been just a little late, at least Marpard would have had his head blown off by the Empress.

“……I have no excuse.”

“It’s fine. That’s not what’s important right now.”

Leaving Marpard, who was bowing his head deeply, behind, Demian looked at Dohyun and raised the corners of his lips with a bitter smile.

“It’s the first time we’ve met face to face, Kaiser.”

“I know. It’s my first time seeing you properly like this too… Your outfit has changed? Did you go shopping or something?”

A hoodlum-like man, Leon, who was standing next to him, chimed in.

They felt relaxed.

Looking at them, the Empress flicked her ear and spat out.

“You guys are so pathetic, sticking together and acting all cool. You came to steal the last hit, what’s with all the talking?”

“……Who’s sticking together? You guys stole it first and started a fight.”

“Oh, so you ganged up on one person with a hundred people because you’re pathetic? When you couldn’t do it, you guys jumped in… Tsk tsk, I’m so proud of you so-called top 10 guilds.”

“……”

As expected of her, it was a no-holds-barred remark.

Leon shut his mouth because he had nothing to say, and Demian’s face hardened as if he was displeased.

“……Empress. Are you trying to be our enemy? It won’t be good for you either.”

“Were we enemies, then, or allies?”

“I’m not playing word games. If you act like this, we can’t just stand by and watch. But if you back out now, we’ll let it slide.”

Demian was serious when he said that.

The Empress had been fine so far, and they were in a relationship where they wouldn’t bother each other.

He was willing to show generosity considering the friendship they had since the early days.

But the Empress’s answer was already decided.

“Fuck off.”

Demian nodded at the Empress, who was giving him the middle finger.

“……Yeah, that’s like you.”

“I told you, Demian. There’s no time to talk, just crush them.”

“I have no choice. Then we have no choice but to eliminate them together.”

“Yeah, that’s it.”

Leon fidgeted with his hands as if his body was itching.

Demian grabbed his shield, thinking that sometimes that guy seemed to be in the same category as the Empress.

“Any last words?”

Dohyun slowly opened his mouth at the question directed at him.

“You have to succeed this time no matter what. If you let me live, you’ll be the one to die.”

“……”

A confidence that was different in density from the bluffing of a cornered rat.

It was a deep conviction born from past experience.

Demian’s eyebrows twitched at the strong provocation, but he nodded obediently.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

However, he only added one thing.

“You don’t have to worry. I’ve prepared thoroughly for that.”

“……?”

Demian, who was smiling bitterly, slammed the shield he was holding onto the ground.

Thud!

It was a signal.

A signal to show themselves.

Swoosh-

At that, someone appeared from the top of the labyrinth.

To be exact, it was more like shadows.

Numerous shadows were attached to the small spaces on the walls of the labyrinth.

The people who stepped on the spaces that were arranged sparsely like stepping stones surrounded this place, and they held various weapons from staffs to magic spheres to bows.

“……Crazy.”

The number was as many as dozens.

Considering the additional forces that Leon and Demian each led, the number increased by more than a hundred in an instant.

It was like two people had to fight 200 people.

But this wasn’t the end.

Thump, thump.

A low footstep echoed.

It was impossible to tell where the footsteps were coming from, but there was no need to tell.

The guild members were splitting to the sides like the miracle of Moses in the direction he was coming from.

He, who had reached this place before he knew it, was a man Dohyun knew well.

‘……This is driving me crazy.’

Brilliant blonde hair.

Shiny golden armor.

A subtly emanating sacred aura and a sword like a work of art.

‘Arthur…….’

It was the appearance of Arthur, the master of The King.

It was none other than Demian who showed the most joy at that.

“You kept your promise.”

“……I’ll consider the debt paid with this. Demian.”

“Of course. You even mobilized the Ten Holy Knights.”

Ten Holy Knights?

When The King’s greatest force was mentioned, Dohyun instinctively looked around. But there were no Ten Holy Knights to be seen.

Those shadows were all ranged dealers [characters specializing in long-distance attacks].

There was no way the Ten Holy Knights, made up of holy knights, would be there.

‘……Could it be.’

Then there was only one answer.

‘Old man.’

Sent to where Astra was.

Demian smiled for the first time when Dohyun’s face hardened.

“One of the top 10 guild spots will be empty.”

“……I’m going to kill that bastard.”

The Empress’s red eyes flashed with murderous intent.

She looked like she was about to chew him up and swallow him, but Dohyun had no time to pay attention to her.

-……Master.

-Liza…….

Jihad and Eliza were watching Dohyun’s mood, because he was angrier than her.

[Using Madness.]

[Using Darkness Coating.]

Red energy and darkness mixed and surged around Dohyun, whose eyes had turned red like the Empress.

“……Shall we add another betting item?”

Dohyun said, grinding his teeth, as if declaring.

“The person who kills that bastard wins.”

“Okay. Good.”

At the same time as the answer, the two kicked off the ground.

Demian and Leon also grabbed their weapons as they watched them flying like bullets, scattering red energy, and Arthur reluctantly drew his sword.

“Let’s begin.”

“Okay.”

It was the moment when the great labyrinth war that would be recorded in the history of God of Creation began.

* * *

Bang! Kwang!

The ground caved in every time a heavy roar echoed.

Blood was splattered around, and even more arrows and magic stirred the surroundings.

Dohyun staggered in the cracked and scorched crater.

-……Master.

-Li, Liza…….

At that, Jihad and Eliza glared with resentful faces.

But as if they didn’t even deserve to do that, Leon trampled on Jihad’s back, who was lying down.

-Ugh……!

-Lizariza!!

Eliza shouted as if telling him not to do that and spat out spider webs, but there was no way the spider webs would do any damage.

Leon didn’t budge.

-Kuh…… Just a little, please wait a little longer. This lowly sword…… Keheok.

Charlie struggled to get up with difficulty a little further away, but he was hit by magic flying from behind and knelt down again.

The Undead Legion had disappeared long ago.

Clang! Kang!

“Haa…… Haa…….”

“Heok, heok.”

The only ones standing and holding on were the Empress and Dohyun.

But they were just holding on.

The two, who were standing back to back in the crater, sealing the blind spot and aiming their swords, were very exhausted.

[HP is below 5%.]

[Danger! If you use up all your HP, all stats will decrease and you will fall into a groggy state until you recover.]

[Warning! Hero traits do not work in this system.]

[Mana is below 20%.]

It was really the limit.

No matter how tenacious Dohyun and the Empress were, they were still users who used the same system.

There was no way to avoid falling down when they ran out of HP.

[You are in an overwhelming adversity.]

[The effect of Defying the Heavens is amplified.]

‘I managed to hold on because this was activated…… I would have had a hard time if it wasn’t for that.’

It was a godsend that he received the armor.

It was a pity that the hidden option was not activated because it did not reach the maximum stack.

It was a great pity now that even one variable was good.

‘Kkukku is also at his limit.’

The Empress’s breathing was rough, as if she was no different.

Dohyun looked ahead with a bitter look.

There were still well over a hundred people left.

Arthur, who had walked up to them in front of them, opened his mouth after staring silently for a while.

“I’ve always been curious about how you caught the Forgotten King. I wanted to fight you once, but I’m sorry it’s in this situation.”

“……Heok, heok.”

“I’m just trying to pay off my debt, I have no grudge against you.”

Debt or whatever, it was their situation, and to be honest, he was so tired that he didn’t want to be talked to.

Dohyun calmed down as much as possible and regained his composure.

‘It’s fucking tough.’

It wouldn’t be easy to fight Arthur one-on-one right now, but it was a pain in the ass because the ranged dealers were surrounding him.

It was also because he had consumed HP and mana while fighting continuously.

“Wow, you’re really holding out for a long time. Are you a zombie or something?”

“This is…… I don’t know if I should say it’s amazing or foolish.”

“That’s why Lavaon couldn’t do anything. Your judgment to deal with him now was right. Demian. That guy has become a monster beyond what I thought.”

In this situation, there were still two sub-masters left, and three masters were holding on.

The only wounds on the guys who were talking leisurely were small scratches.

It was because they could only fight in a one-sided structure.

‘If only I had a chance to fight properly…….’

It wouldn’t have been like this if that had happened.

Was it because his inner thoughts were heard?

“You were just happy when you were being praised as a one-man army or a god.”

Demian smiled and continued.

“The arrogance that you don’t need power. The foolishness that you can stand alone at the top has brought you to this place.”

God of Creation is a game played by 1 billion people.

As such, it was a place where many people gathered, and there were many amazing players.

Why do they all have power [guilds, alliances, etc.]?

“Because if you don’t, you’ll eventually collapse. Like you guys now.”

It is not the strong who survive, but the survivors who are strong.

That immutable truth was true here as well, and in that respect, Demian thought he was qualified to be at the top.

He was a leader who satisfied both the former and the latter.

“It would be good to finish here. You can look forward to it. What kind of days will unfold in the future.”

“……Stop it and finish it.”

Demian grabbed his shield at Arthur’s restraint, who intervened as if he was uncomfortable.

His shield, with all sides as sharp as a blade, boasted a more eerie sharpness than most swords.

When combined with the heavy weight, it would produce a tremendous burst of damage.

Like an executioner looking down at those on the scaffold.

“Then, this is the end. Kaiser.”

It was the moment when Demian, who spat out coldly, was about to slam down his shield.

“How dare…… How dare you mock God.”

A woman’s voice was heard from somewhere.

There was a strange madness in the tone that did not match the beautiful voice like rolling jade beads.

And,

—–!

Something fell between Dohyun and Demian, and smoke rose.

Fog so thick that even afterimages could not be seen properly.

“What is this!?”

“What is this all of a sudden…… Uh? Ugh! Keheok.”

“Kkeuheoeok!”

In the invisible field of vision, countless screams and eerie metallic sounds echoed.

Demian’s calmness cracked for the first time at that.

He muttered unconsciously at the feeling that his heart was pounding with embarrassment.

“What……?”

But that muttering was not properly continued.

He had seen it.

The silhouettes revealed through the slowly clearing smoke.

Voluptuous bodies that could be felt just by looking at the silhouettes. Luxurious blonde hair. And a greatsword that revealed a presence so great that all of that could not be seen.

“……Fanatic?”

No, she wasn’t alone.

All the things that were spreading like afterimages behind her were silhouettes of people.

They were all wearing masks and robes, holding various weapons.

Soon, the moment the smoke cleared completely.

They, who made eye contact with Dohyun, all knelt down on one knee and shouted.

“Oh God, we have come.”

The Church of Cacin had come to meet God.