The Return Of The Genius Ranker Of All Times [EN]: Chapter 291

291.

[Old Golden Emblem]

‘No reaction…?’

The emblem isn’t showing any reaction.

Just in case I miscalculated the distance, I took a few more steps closer, but it was the same.

What this meant was clear.

‘He’s not the Emperor.’

The great Emperor of the Empire, Baharun de Arnis.

He is not the mole.

At that, Dohyun, who was still bowing, sighed.

He was indeed taken aback by the unexpected result, but he also felt relieved.

‘If the Emperor was the enemy, there would have been no hope.’

If that were the case, he might have had to commit treason.

Treason against the Emperor, who possessed the greatest power known to humanity?

Even if all the top 10 guilds joined forces, they would be annihilated in an instant.

At least, that was the case for now.

Only when time passed, content increased, and users grew stronger would there be a possibility.

‘It would have taken at least a few years.’

Thinking about it that way, it made sense from a balance perspective that the Emperor wasn’t the mole.

‘Considering the main quests I’ve cleared so far, it’s quite understandable.’

As he was chuckling to himself, he heard a deep voice.

It was the Emperor.

“Is there a problem?”

“Ah, no. I apologize for the wait.”

The Emperor, puzzled by Dohyun’s slow pace as he was lost in thought, was expressing concern.

Dohyun quickly responded and strode forward.

There was no point in inviting unnecessary suspicion.

“I found this on the Corps Commander’s corpse.”

“This is……”

The Emperor received the ominous remnant and stared at it intently for a long time before furrowing his brow.

“The aura of the Abyss. But… I sense a faint, foreign energy.”

‘Foreign energy?’

Dohyun listened attentively.

He naturally assumed it was just a trace of the Abyss, but this was an unexpected remark.

The Emperor continued.

“Although I lack knowledge of medicine, I have watched Eden’s treatment process countless times.”

“……”

“If you look closely, it’s faint enough to go unnoticed… but to me, who has seen it dozens of times, it seems very similar to the energy I felt back then.”

Having said that, the Emperor made a sound as if he found it strange.

“This came from the Corps Commander. Eden has never been to the Labyrinth [a dangerous, ever-changing dungeon], so how did Eden contract the disease?”

“Was it only possible for Apostles to enter the Labyrinth from the beginning?”

“No, the Labyrinth of Impermissibility is a place where the conditions and structure change each time you enter. When it first appeared, even our own people could enter.”

The Emperor, who was answering, suddenly asked.

“But why do you ask this? Do you have any idea about something?”

It was as if he was urging Dohyun to tell him if he knew anything.

Dohyun hesitated for a moment before shaking his head.

He chose to hold back his words.

If the Emperor’s claim was true, it meant one of two things.

‘Either the Second Prince secretly entered the Labyrinth and left the emblem, or someone else planned it with malicious intent.’

Either way, there was no point in speaking yet.

It would be right to speak when things became clearer.

‘I’ll find out when I meet them directly.’

Now, the remaining candidates are only the First Prince and the Second Prince.

While Dohyun was organizing his thoughts, the Emperor must have regained his composure.

The impatience that was briefly visible disappeared, and he returned to his calm demeanor, leaning back on the chair.

Then, he looked straight at Dohyun and said firmly.

“You said you were Kaiser.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

At that, Dohyun also came out of his thoughts and focused on the Emperor.

The Emperor smiled faintly at his attitude of being respectful but not intimidated.

“If we research these remnants, we should be able to gain something. You have successfully completed the request and obtained the first hope of curing the disease.”

“……It’s nothing.”

“Do I look that deaf? I have already heard that you made the greatest contribution to the strategy.”

In other words, he was telling Dohyun not to be so humble.

Dohyun, who had nothing to say, chose silence again.

More than anything, he wasn’t in the right state of mind to speak.

Ding-

[The sudden quest, ‘The Prince’s Disease,’ has been cleared.]

[You have acquired 10,000 gold.]

[You leveled up.]

‘Already leveled up? The experience points are more than I thought?’

He was distracted by the message that popped up as soon as he finished speaking.

He knew there would be a lot of experience points as a reward, but he didn’t expect to level up again so soon after just leveling up.

Considering how hard it is to level up from level 90, a smile naturally appeared.

‘I wonder if a special event will occur?’

However, one question remained: the special event, which was the reward he was most curious about, was nowhere to be seen….

That question was soon resolved.

“I think I can trust you since you brought back the clue. If you learn anything about the disease, can you take on the request again?”

Ding-

[The linked quest, ‘The Prince’s Disease (2),’ will occur after a certain period of time.]

[A special event will occur when all linked quests are completed.]

The message that followed immediately provided the answer.

‘That was the final reward.’

Considering that all the special events he had experienced so far required several steps, it was not strange.

Since it’s a quest only he is doing anyway, there’s no need to rush.

“Of course.”

“It’s fortunate to have a disciple like you.”

When Dohyun, having shaken off his thoughts, answered boldly, the Emperor’s eyes and voice softened even more.

Compared to before, it was a very favorable reaction, and it wasn’t just his imagination.

[The effect of the title ‘Maximum Favorability from the Start?’ is activated. Favorability increases even more.]

[The Emperor ‘Bahalun de Arnis’’s favorability greatly increases.]

[The Emperor considers you a useful disciple.]

Favorability actually increased.

‘A useful disciple, huh…….’

It makes you wonder if that’s the perception of someone whose favorability has greatly increased, but if you know how much the Emperor doesn’t trust the disciples, it can be said to be a great development.

“I feel much more at ease now that you’ve said that. I am not one to only receive without giving. Tell me if there is anything you desire from me.”

At the soft voice, Dohyun hesitated for a moment before answering.

If he asked for something material when he was told to say what he wanted, his favorability would be greatly reduced.

Usually, it’s right to refuse here, but….

There was something he could ask for.

“If possible, could I meet the princes? I would especially like to meet the First Prince in person.”

“Hmm? The princes?”

“Yes. I have heard so much about his heroic deeds that I have always wanted to meet him in person.”

“Heroic deeds, huh… So he’s already hearing such things. Very well. It’s not a difficult task.”

Could it be that the maximum flattery Dohyun could muster worked well?

The Emperor, with a pleased face, readily agreed.

“However, he has not yet returned from the subjugation [military campaign], so it seems impossible for now. He will be back soon, so I will arrange a meeting as soon as he arrives.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Iden… is still not in good condition. Would it be okay to call you when there is progress in his treatment?”

“Of course.”

In the end, it means that there are no princes he can meet right away, but this is enough.

He’ll run into the Second Prince anyway while doing the linked quests, and he’s already received a promise to meet the First Prince as soon as he returns.

More than anything.

“This is this… and you have excellently completed the request. I must give you a reward worthy of that.”

Ding-

[The Emperor bestows a special reward upon you for achieving 1st place in the strategy ranking.]

Now it was time to receive additional rewards.

Dohyun’s gaze was focused on that.

Since it was only an additional reward, it was lacking compared to the strategy reward, but it was a different story if you were in the top 10.

‘Kkukkuk and Sword Emperor received titles and medals.’

Even a legendary title and the Emperor’s Medal.

Considering that the value of the Emperor’s Medal is greater than the Sword Authority given by the Sword Emperor, it was a huge reward.

-Why is my color like this alone?

-I should have just taken 4th place.

-…….

Everyone else received gold, but only Ajussi [term of endearment for an older man] received silver, so he was sulking.

Thinking about that, it seemed that the reward was strengthened when you came in the top 5.

‘Will 1st place be different?’

But anything in 1st place is bound to have differences from others.

Demrok followed that rule very well, and God of Seoul, which is based on Demrok, also had quite a few of those aspects.

So, when he was expecting to some extent.

Swish.

The Emperor got up and went somewhere, then took something out.

The moment he received the box that the Emperor, who had come closer, handed him.

‘Huh?’

Dohyun paused.

The reward given by the Emperor was not a medal.

[You have acquired the titles ‘Disciple Acknowledged by the Emperor’ and ‘Highest Conqueror of the Forbidden Labyrinth.’]

[As a Reward…]

‘What on earth is this?’

Totally unexpected rewards.

I was momentarily bewildered by the titles I had never heard before.

‘……Not bad?’

A smile soon spread across Dohyun’s face as he checked the detailed information.

* * *

Creak-

Dohyun, opening the door and stepping out, shuddered.

The eyes of the users, densely packed in the hallway outside the audience chamber, were all directed at him.

Even the knights of the Imperial Knights were among them.

‘Ugh, you scared me. Why is everyone looking here?’

It’s unsettling to be watched all at once, like when you become aware of a dream within a dream, but it’s even more chilling because even the Imperial Knights, one of the largest forces in the empire, are glaring.

Among them, the most chilling was, of course, the vice-captain, Verdian.

‘If it’s the Imperial Knights, I guess the vice-captain is on another level.’

He seems stronger than most of the knights.

Just looking at the aura he emits, he was incomparable to Duran, the Knight of Gale, whom I had met before.

“……Let’s go back.”

“Yes.”

When Verdian, who had been silently watching, turned around, the knights also followed him out of the hallway.

‘If you were going to do that, why were you waiting?’

A silent protest?

As he scratched his head at the thought that they were strange guys, he heard a commotion.

“What did he get?”

“I’m so curious about what they talked about… I shouldn’t ask, right?”

“Do you think they’ll tell you?”

“Did he get a hidden quest?”

To be exact, it was a sound that had been heard before.

I just couldn’t hear it because I was paying attention to the Imperial Knights.

Dohyun chuckled as he watched the users looking around, wondering what to do with their faces that looked like they were dying of curiosity.

‘I did get something good.’

It’s not a hidden quest, but I also booked a linked quest and got a special reward.

-Sniffing the air, it seems like you got something good?

-Hmm! I think so.

-Lizardlizard.

And the guardians, who were remarkably aware of Dohyun’s satisfied mood, nodded their heads.

They didn’t know what rewards they got, so they seemed just as curious.

“It’s different from what I expected, but I got something good.”

-Wow, isn’t the world too unfair, Master? Only you get different rewards.

-Hmm, wouldn’t it be because he recognized the greatness of the Lord?

-Lizard!

Jihad, chattering, and Charlie, nodding solemnly as if it were natural.

Eliza, climbing on Dohyun’s shoulder and agreeing.

Watching them, Dohyun casually spat out.

“No, this time it’s not just me who gets something good.”

-Huh?

-Lizard?

-What does that mean, Master?

Jihad and Eliza tilted their heads at the same time, but Dohyun turned his gaze to the inventory instead of answering.

The Proof of Allegiance shining there.

‘It’s time for those guys to raise their stats, too.’

Because the main characters of that were them, not himself.

-What is it, what is it? Tell me quickly!

-Lizardlizard!

-Hmm……!

Jihad and the others were openly urging him, and Charlie was trying hard not to show it, but he couldn’t hide his curiosity, but Dohyun just moved on.

By nature, these things are not fun if you tell them in advance.

Step, step.

How long had he walked like that?

The moment he opened the castle gate after leaving the golden hallway.

Creak-

The warm sunlight shone on Dohyun through the door,

“Waaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!”

“It’s Kaiser!”

“It’s Kashin!”

A deafening shout erupted.

‘Crazy…… What is all this?’

The users who filled the area around the castle were shouting Dohyun’s nickname.