The Return Of The Genius Ranker Of All Times [EN]: Chapter 315

315. Undead

Those called the dead, or the undead.

Clatter- Clack-

It was the most fitting term to describe the skeleton soldiers charging with their distinct bone sounds.

[Someone enters the Abyss Veil.]

[The First Prince’s corruption is delayed.]

The undead’s sudden intrusion into the veil caused a momentary pause.

Clang!

Garrion immediately raised his sword against the attacks of the skeleton soldiers, who scattered and assaulted from all directions.

The simultaneous attacks were quite heavy.

But not to the point of being unmanageable, so just as Garrion was about to easily shake them off,

Swoosh-

A sound like something spreading was heard, and something writhed beneath his feet.

-……!

This doesn’t feel right.

Acting on instinct, he quickly leaped backward, and a pillar shot up where Garrion had been standing, missing him by a hair.

[Uses Undead Weapon Creation.]

[Due to the commander’s high rank, only a portion of the weapon from their past life is recovered.]

[Mana consumption greatly increases.]

[Uses Requiem.]

[Upon contact with Requiem, you will take damage that ignores magic resistance and be exposed to the chill of the underworld.]

-……The underworld?

Even Garrion was experiencing this energy for the first time.

The intense chill felt on his skin, despite the distance, was ominous.

Without a moment to collect himself, a giant flew towards Garrion, who had leaped away.

Ughhhhh-!!

Garrion recognized the face well.

He was a mid-boss from a rather famous ogre den.

He was known for his immense strength, but that was only from the perspective of the apostles [followers or disciples].

To Garrion, he was an insignificant boss that could be handled with one hand, but the one before him was different.

Thwaaack!

-!

As he slammed his hands down, Garrion was sent plummeting to the ground with a heavy impact.

Although there was no damage, it was power that surpassed his former level.

[Uses Requiem.]

[Upon contact with Requiem, you will take damage that ignores magic resistance and be exposed to the chill of the underworld.]

Pillars shot up as if waiting for him to be pinned to the ground.

This was unavoidable.

But Garrion was not flustered.

-……Then I’ll just destroy them.

His power, which now controlled a part of the Abyss, was by no means inferior to this chill.

Crackle-

The black wings that sprouted from his back blocked the Requiem, and after a brief struggle, the pillars emitted a wave and disappeared.

However, Garrion did not rush in immediately but stared ahead.

Ughhhhh- Ugh-

Clatter, clack!

Skeleton soldiers, with red eyes gleaming through the robes they wore, formed ranks and scattered, leading the undead.

And ogres and trolls followed the giant ogre.

A legion of nearly 20 was facing Garrion.

Garrion frowned as if he couldn’t understand.

-A necromancer…… Strange. Someone leading an undead army of this level shouldn’t be left in the Empire.

Each one was beyond the level of an ordinary undead.

Especially that skeleton wearing the robe.

The chill of the underworld he wielded was admirable.

The fact that it could resist his energy even slightly was beyond imagination.

‘Who on earth?’

The users outside the veil provided the answer.

“Those undead! A robed dwarf…… Could it be?!”

“Crazy, it’s here! It’s finally here!”

“Waaaaaaa!!!”

“Jackpot!!”

The users who were watching from outside the veil were shocked and began to make a fuss.

It was the now-famous Jihad’s undead army.

There was no user in the Empire who didn’t know who its master was.

-……Something is coming.

A chilling sensation was felt at the same time.

Garrion instinctively looked at the wings spread on his back.

The Abyss energy within him was saying it.

Something threatening was beyond that.

Thud-!

A man flew like a ray of light through the undead army.

The intense bloodlust and strange energy felt from the sword he held were the culprits.

Garrion swung his sword to meet it,

Clang!

[……Who are you?]

He was finally able to make eye contact with the man.

The sight of the man, exuding intense bloodlust as if he would kill him at any moment, caused the commotion outside the veil to grow even louder.

A man who appeared with Jihad.

[Kaiser…….]

-…….

[So, you are that apostle’s knight. Or, is it more accurate to say this?]

His identity was none other than the commander of the 5th Knight Order of Arren Castle, the one who abandoned his noble title.

[Charlie de Lavion.]

-…….

It was Charlie, the former Knight Commander of Arren Castle.

“……Huh?”

“What? Why is he alone?”

“He’s really alone?”

“What’s going on? Was that even possible?”

The users expressed doubt rather than cheers.

It couldn’t be helped.

Charlie and Jihad, the guardians, were there, but the master, Kaiser, was nowhere to be seen.

“What’s going on?”

“No matter how you look at it, Kaiser isn’t here.”

“Isn’t he using stealth?”

“He can even see through stealth, would that work? Even if he was using stealth, now would be the time to attack, but he’s not doing it.”

The question continued even as Charlie and Garrion exchanged blows again, and after a little more time, the users couldn’t help but realize.

That only the guardians had come without Kaiser.

“……Former Knight Commander vs. Current Knight Commander?”

“Crazy…… Then if Charlie loses, does that mean it fails?”

“Something’s different from usual?”

That Charlie’s sword was holding a faint light, unlike usual.

Whoosh-

“Oh, that’s coming!”

“If you get hit by that black thing, you’ll die horribly.”

“Ah, is he going to end up like Dran?”

Slice-

“……Huh?”

“The wings…… Were cut?”

And that faint light was surprisingly the only hope that could block Garrion’s sword, which was almost impossible to defend against.

A brief silence flowed, and a hopeful light appeared on the users’ faces.

“……Is Charlie doing this?”

* * *

[The First Prince’s Abyss corruption has exceeded 90%.]

[Changes are occurring in the Abyss Veil.]

[The size of the Abyss Veil is increasing, and the inside is becoming clearer.]

[The radius of the veil will expand with each 1% increase from now on.]

[Warning! When it reaches 100%, the First Prince ‘Rior de Arnis’ will die, and the veil will be lifted, starting the abyssal corruption of the city.]

“It’s already over 90 percent?”

When the warning message appeared as the Abyss corruption exceeded 90 percent.

Dohyun, who was in Garrion’s secret place, sighed.

[The form of Barian’s swordsmanship has been established.]

[The sword path becomes clearer.]

‘Damn it, I haven’t received all the teachings yet.’

The corruption rate was faster than expected.

He was receiving the swordsmanship at a fairly decent pace, but it was only at the stage of forming the swordsmanship.

Even if he gave it his all, it was right to see that he had only received about 70% of the teachings.

At this rate, the First Prince would be completely corrupted first.

‘Looking at the current situation, there’s no one else who will step up.’

Looking at the news he heard through the communication orb and the community situation, it was a complete mess.

The posts looking for him were visible every time he scrolled.

‘Is there no other way?’

In the end, Dohyun had to make a decision.

“Charlie, Jihad, Eliza.”

-Liza?

-Yes, Master.

-Yes, Master.

“You guys will have to go.”

If he couldn’t step up, he would send them.

In fact, he had it in mind from the beginning.

[Guardian ‘Charlie’ is proceeding with the Guardian Quest.]

[Autonomous will is given to the guardians, including Charlie.]

[While proceeding with the Guardian Quest, the guardians can move free from the constraints of the system.]

[Due to the influence of the Guardian Quest ‘Dawn of Light’, you can move to where ‘Garrion’ is.]

[However, only guardians can move.]

Thanks to the effect of the Guardian Quest, they could go to Garrion.

He didn’t want to go together if possible because it wouldn’t be good if the forces were dispersed…….

‘I can’t help it. It’s better than failing the quest.’

Dohyun, who had more than one reason to catch Garrion, had no choice.

If the First Prince was corrupted, there would be at least three quests that would fail immediately.

And above all.

-……Yes, Master.

Dohyun nodded at Charlie’s determined eyes.

[Dawn of Light]

-Grade: Guardian Quest

-Description: In the dark age when the Abyss was lurking in the past.

Arren Castle, which was called a ray of hope and the dawn of light.

Charlie, the knight commander there, eventually failed to light the dawn of light and fell.

And a long time has passed, and now.

The Empire is overshadowed by darkness, and an opportunity to light the dawn of light has come. Let’s liquidate the karma and light the dawn of light.]

-Karma Liquidation: (0 / 2)

-Dawn of Light: (0 / 1)

-Upon successful quest: Acquire Charlie’s exclusive signature skill, greatly increase Charlie’s stats, traits, and skill power.

[As the Dawn of Light progresses, potential reacts to Charlie’s will.]

[The stronger Charlie’s will, the greater the potential increases.]

‘It might be better this way.’

This quest is no exaggeration to say that it depends on Charlie’s will.

Considering that, it might be more meaningful for him to go alone than to be with him.

[Reacting to the strong will, a faint light blooms on Charlie’s sword.]

[Exerts power when facing the Abyss.]

In fact, he is showing a different appearance than before.

Of course, this is all under the premise that he will hold out well until he leaves this place.

Dohyun didn’t intend to be relaxed.

[Guardians ‘Charlie’, ‘Jihad’, and ‘Eliza’ are moving to where ‘Garrion’ is.]

[The Guardian Quest will fail if Charlie dies.]

‘I’ll receive the teachings as quickly as possible and leave.’

Everything would be over if Charlie was reverse summoned.

Leaving behind the empty seats of the moved guys, Dohyun took a breath.

Then, at the moment he swung the tightly gripped sword.

[The moment when Barian had a strong will unfolds.]

For the first time, the word strong will came to mind, and soon the vision was reversed.

‘A strong will…….’

There were quite a few memories since the memory of being betrayed, but in Dohyun’s standard, there was no memory that gave as much impact as that time.

I wonder what the moment when he had a strong will would be like.

Dohyun’s expression hardened as he looked at the unfolded world with a little curiosity.

‘This is…….’

The eyes that had been wide open sank low, and the face that had been stiffened was gradually filled with something else.

Bitterness, or pity.

That was the only way to describe the emotion.

[You have directly experienced the strong will that Barian had.]

[Barian’s swordsmanship becomes clearer.]

The same was true after that.

He swung his sword several times and experienced Barian’s will, and Dohyun’s eyes gradually sank.

Dohyun, who had been feeling Barian’s will silently for a while, clicked his tongue.

‘Was that it, Barian.’

What he was trying to convey through this sword.

What he was trying to say.

He seemed to know a little. And that wasn’t the only thing he learned.

‘Garrion had such a secret.’

It was the moment when he learned about Garrion, his past, and the secrets involved.

Dohyun, who had a subtle expression, was about to swing his sword again.

[Warning! Guardian ‘Charlie’ expresses deep anger.]

[Guardian ‘Charlie’ has encountered a long-standing grudge.]

A notification window suddenly popped up.

Ding-

‘……What?’

And at the moment he saw the message that followed, Dohyun couldn’t help but widen his eyes.