The Return Of The Genius Ranker Of All Times [EN]: Chapter 311

311.

The Empire was turned upside down.

There was no better way to describe the current situation.

The sudden death of the Second Prince, Ethan de Arnis.

That alone was a major incident, but on top of that, rumors spread that Baharun was on his deathbed?

“His Majesty the Emperor has collapsed!? Why?”

“It seems the Second Prince’s death was too much of a shock. They say he collapsed right after hearing the report…”

“Hmph… then what happens now?”

“Wouldn’t the First Prince ascend to the throne?”

“What is all this in one day…”

No matter where you went in the city, that was all anyone was talking about.

NPCs [Non-Player Characters, computer-controlled characters] worried about the future and chattered, while users who learned the news through the system window couldn’t hide their bewilderment.

“Why is this real?”

“No, is he really dead? The Second Prince?”

“What the… Even if it’s a virtual reality game, isn’t this going too far?”

“The Emperor changes in just two years of real-time. What a *mang-geim* [Korean slang for ‘ruined game’] class.”

“Then there’s no reason to risk my life clearing the labyrinth quest, is there?”

“Of all people, that tyrant is becoming the Emperor. Can we even play the game properly in the future?”

It was absurd that an NPC died without any connection overnight, and it was also worrying that the Emperor to succeed him was the rumored tyrant, the First Prince.

It was why NPCs and users alike were expressing concern with one voice.

And that was the same in reality.

[Oh my, brothers! Have you heard the news from the Empire? It’s a complete mess. The Second Prince died without any updates, and the Emperor is about to change!]

[NPCs dying or changing regardless of user actions might be unfamiliar to those accustomed to classic games… But as it’s a virtual reality game… And in fact, this kind of thing happened frequently in old games that pursued reality…]

NewTubers and BJs [Broadcast Jockeys, internet personalities] from various platforms were the first to step up, seeing this as an opportunity.

With famous figures fueling an already significant event, what would the reaction be?

-???

-??

-What’s going on all of a sudden?

-What, is it real? The Second Prince really died?

-I think I saw the Emperor until yesterday, how can this happen overnight?

-OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG

Naturally, an explosive reaction erupted.

└The Emperor isn’t dead yet. You crazy bastards.

└They say he’s been ailing. He’s in a coma, practically a vegetable.

└Real talk… This is a parent’s heart. You little brats. Even if he’s an NPC, his child’s death was a huge shock.

└More importantly, what do we do? How will the power structure change now? There are many major forces deeply connected to the Emperor, like the Magic Tower. And the Sword Emperor too.

└What do you mean, what do we do? The Empire’s NPCs never paid attention to users anyway. Just live as usual.

└Real talk, only high rankers need to be careful, it doesn’t mean much to commoners like us. Just, oh, the Emperor is changing~

└You never know. I heard Rior had a private meeting with Kaiser, maybe Rior will keep an eye on the users if he becomes Emperor?

From those emotionally sympathetic to Baharun to those worried about the Empire’s power structure.

And various speculative stories ran rampant.

Just when the chat room was going up non-stop with jumbled chats, making everyone dizzy.

-Hey, what’s up? I’m at the Magic Tower and can’t get out.

-Are you at the White Magic Tower?

-How did you know?

-Because I’m at the White Magic Tower too. The Magic Tower Lord suddenly disappeared, what’s going on?

-Huh, is the Magic Tower like that too? I’m at the Leber Knights Order, and the Lord said he was going to see the Emperor and hasn’t returned.

Strange chats started to come up.

Saying they couldn’t get out, or that the Magic Tower Lord or the Lord of the Knights Order hadn’t returned.

-STFU [Shut the f*** up]

-What a creative way to troll lol

-Let’s ignore him, guys.

People lightly dismissed the ghost stories, but it couldn’t be ignored after one or two times.

As the stack went over 3, 4, and even 5, it could no longer be ignored.

Eventually, people started to investigate directly, and soon shocking results came out.

-Hey, I think it’s real? My friend is at the Blue Magic Tower and it’s a mess there too.

-What is it? Following the Second Prince and the Emperor, now it’s the Magic Tower and the Knights Order?

-?? Can this be a coincidence?

-Wait a minute, guys. Has anyone seen the Sword Emperor?

-Huh? Come to think of it, I haven’t seen the Sword Emperor. Isn’t he one of the Seven Spears closest to the Emperor? Why isn’t he showing up?

-It’s not just the Sword Emperor. No one in the Empire has seen the Seven Spears right now.

-It seems like all the NPCs in the top 50 are missing for now. I checked them all just in case, but they’re gone.

-Even considering that some people are out on missions, does this make sense?

Almost all the NPCs who would be in charge of the Empire’s major forces had disappeared.

Everyone disappearing without a trace on the same day, at the same time?

It was something that couldn’t happen naturally.

-Didn’t they have some kind of TOP 50 meeting?

-Well, yeah, the Second Prince died and the Emperor is on his deathbed, so the pillars of the Empire are having a drinking party as a group.

-Are you crazy lol

-It seems like something we don’t know is happening? It’s strange that major force NPCs are just dying naturally. It’s never happened before.

-If you have to say it, it’s not that there aren’t any… but it’s strange.

Unless they had a group meeting, it meant someone was using tricks.

And that guess was spot on.

Ding-

A quest popped up simultaneously in front of all the users in the Empire.

[Cataclysmic City Quest ‘Black Knight Garion’ has occurred.]

[Black Knight Garion]

-Grade: Cataclysmic City Quest

-Description: Garion, the Lord of Arlen Castle, also known as the Dawn of Light, and the Commander of the Knights.

He is putting into practice a plan he has been preparing for a long time.

Now that many of the Empire’s strongmen have disappeared due to Garion’s tricks, the only hope is the Apostles.

Stop Garion until the Seven Spears and the strongmen return.

-Quest Success: Return of the Seven Spears and the Empire’s strongmen, special event occurrence, Imperial Family rewards paid in proportion to contribution.

[The quest will fail if First Prince Rior de Arnis dies.]

[Warning! If the quest fails, 30% of the Empire’s land will be Abyss-ified and the Imperial Family will fall.]

“Crazy…”

“What is this?”

“Cataclysmic? Not just a city quest, but cataclysmic?”

“There was something called cataclysmic?”

It was the appearance of a cataclysmic city quest that was seen for the first time in God of Creation.

And before they could be embarrassed by this, he appeared.

Clatter.

A knight armed with jet-black armor.

The moment he, a giant over 190cm tall with sharp eyes, confidently walked into the Imperial Castle.

Users could immediately recognize his identity.

“Black… Knight?”

Because his appearance was suitable for the name Black Knight no matter who looked at him.

And after a while.

Bang!

A roar erupted, and someone flew in, breaking the door.

It was a figure that users couldn’t possibly not know.

“Keugh… I trusted you, Garion. But how could you do this!”

Whether there was a fierce battle in the meantime, the man covered in wounds was none other than the First Prince, Rior de Arnis.

* * *

-Rior is being kidnapped!

-??

-What?

-Garion, that crazy bastard, is openly kidnapping the First Prince in the middle of the city!

Users couldn’t help but be shocked when this news spread, but the atmosphere wasn’t as peaceful as before.

-If we can’t stop the First Prince from dying, the Empire will be destroyed.

-Seriously, why are games like this these days? Something’s always happening.

-Real;;; I think I’ll go out for lunch.

-No, but if you think about it, it’s just one knight commander, right? Isn’t it possible to stop him?

It was because of the appearance of the cataclysmic city quest.

A protection quest where the Empire would be destroyed if Garion was not stopped from killing the First Prince.

In a way, it was a simple protection quest, but it made one wonder if it deserved the modifier of cataclysmic, which was being seen for the first time, but soon users could understand why.

-Crazy, Garion is *jjonna* [Korean slang for ‘extremely’] strong.

-I was near Lepias and jumped in, but I was instantly killed.

-Is she really the strongest ice mage? She’s just getting beaten up these days. I think she should return the title of strongest.

-Garion is just really strong?

-The First Prince isn’t weak either. He spars with Dran too.

-The First Prince was beaten without even being able to touch him, but Lepias is a mage. It seems like she was taken out in one hit with speed before she could even do anything. The compatibility wasn’t good.

He showed overwhelming force at the same time as his appearance.

It wasn’t just Lepias and the First Prince.

-What are the other guys doing? Just watching?

-Would they be? It’s a situation where they’ll be screwed if they don’t stop him.

-Right now, NPCs and users who are somewhat famous are ganging up on him.

-It’s legendary that it’s still not working;;; They’re barely managing to stop him from killing the First Prince.

The Empire was the center of the main continent and the final destination before going to the New Continent.

Naturally, it was crowded with countless NPCs and users, and among them were many strongmen other than the TOP 50.

But even they had a hard time fully handling Garion alone.

Had about 10 minutes passed like that?

Stab-!

In the end, Garion’s sword pierced the First Prince’s body, and soon a message popped up.

[The conditions for the cataclysmic city quest ‘Black Knight Garion’ are changing.]

[The quest success condition has changed from ‘Protect the First Prince’ to ‘Time Limit’.]

[The time limit is before the First Prince is completely submerged in the Abyss.]

[A curtain of the Abyss is created, and from now on only one ‘party’ can challenge Garion.]

[Damaging or challenging Garion will delay the First Prince’s submersion.]

-We’re screwed.

-We’re doomed.

-If anyone remembers the Forgotten Tomb, give it a thumbs up.

-Ah, PTSD is coming;;.

It was the moment the time limit started.

Meanwhile, at that time.

-Where are the top 10 guilds doing?

-They’re probably in the New Continent. We’re really screwed. The Empress, the Sword Saint, and Ast are all in the New Continent right now, is a time limit even possible?

-What about Kaiser? Where is Kaiser doing?

-Kaiser did it in the Forgotten Tomb, won’t he do it this time too?

-I don’t know. Why isn’t there any news?

-Ha… someone just go in for now. Is the death penalty important right now, the Empire is being Abyss-ified.

-No, when are the Seven Spears coming back? What kind of tricks did he use to make this happen?

“…We’re screwed.”

Dohyun was trapped in Garion’s secret place, helplessly watching the community.

-…We must get out of here, Master.

-Lizariza….

-Hey, what are you going to do, Master? Is there no way?

Even with the Guardians’ urging, Dohyun couldn’t open his mouth.

He couldn’t think of any brilliant ideas.

‘Damn it.’

He was properly tricked.

To think he would make the first move.

Moreover, seeing that he blocked even the Seven Spears and the Empire’s strongmen, it was clear that he had been preparing for this situation from before.

Even though the preparations were not fully in place, he was able to respond immediately.

‘Is it because of the experience of being caught by Rond during Byran’s time?’

He had to admit that he was a thorough bastard.

‘The situation is not good.’

Objectively, there were not many strongmen in the current Empire who could stop Garion.

The top 10 guilds were half-destroyed due to the war with Dohyun and the war with Myeolsal, and most of the intact ones were in the New Continent.

The Empress, the Sword Saint, Ast, and Cheonma were the same.

All that was left were strongmen like Lepias… Was there any hope in a situation where that Lepias was instantly killed?

‘Wow, thinking like this, there’s really no answer. It’s happening at this timing.’

Frankly, Dohyun wasn’t sure either.

Garion was a guy who kidnapped the First Prince while rampaging in the middle of the city.

He was a knight with martial power that was more talented than Byran, who was praised as the reincarnation of the Lion King.

Even if his stats had increased, he couldn’t guarantee victory in his current state.

‘…No. If I can just get out, I think there might be a way.’

Dohyun, who had something come to mind, shook his head, but the problem was that there was no way to get out.

Dohyun, who hadn’t thought of anything while standing still, was walking aimlessly while lost in thought.

[You have entered Byran’s Tomb.]

“Ah.”

Dohyun, who had unknowingly returned to the tomb, scratched his head.

Since the road was connected, he had come to the tomb without thinking.

The tomb had already been thoroughly searched.

There was no need to listen anymore, so he was about to turn back.

Ding-

[You have entered Byran’s Tomb twice in a row.]

[It has been confirmed that the one who inherited Byran’s will has entered.]

[Hidden conditions are met.]

[A sword imbued with Byran’s will appears.]

“…Huh?”