The Return Of The Genius Ranker Of All Times [EN]: Chapter 33

Episode 33

33.

“Excuse me. Are you looking for a party?”

A low voice came from somewhere.

His words were polite, but his tone felt strangely blunt.

So, Dohyun initially thought he wasn’t talking to him.

That’s why he ignored it…….

“……Excuse me?”

“…….”

“The one wearing the Warrior set over there?”

“?”

Dohyun turned his head at the repeated and specific remark.

Then he saw a man with a slight frown. He seemed displeased that Dohyun had been ignoring him.

But as soon as their eyes met, the man quickly composed himself and got straight to the point.

“Yes. If you haven’t found a party yet, would you like to join us?”

“……Are you talking to me?”

“Yes. It seems like you’re having trouble finding a party… If you’re okay with it, join us.”

“You know I’m a swordsman, right?”

“Of course. We’re actually high level, but we’re doing this for a quest. We have good items, so it doesn’t matter.”

“…….”

“Seeing that you even got the Warrior set, you seem serious about God of Seoul. I’d rather have someone like that.”

The man smiled kindly.

The bluntness from before was nowhere to be seen. At first glance, he looked like an angel who understood and readily offered a hand.

Looking behind him, Dohyun saw the man’s companions smiling and waving.

There was a mage and a tank.

‘This man is… a swordsman?’

Perhaps noticing Dohyun’s gaze on his scabbard.

The man scratched his head awkwardly.

“Haha… I’m actually a swordsman too. I couldn’t just ignore the plight of a fellow swordsman.”

“Ah.”

“Honestly, isn’t swordsman the most attractive class? That Myeolsal is also a swordsman if you think about it, so who are they to look down on swordsmen…….”

His words about swordsmen being the best later on showed his resentment.

He seemed like a young man full of dreams and hope.

Even though there were two swordsmen, there was a mage and a tank, and as the man said, their equipment seemed to be at least rare grade or higher, with a nice sheen.

For Dohyun, it was a situation where he should have bowed down and joined the party.

But what was this unknown chill?

‘Something smells fishy…….’

He couldn’t explain it, but their kind expressions, tone, behavior, and the atmosphere they exuded all bothered him.

And Dohyun knew this discomfort very well.

Because he had felt it countless times in Demonic Land.

“Swordsman?”

Perhaps sensing Dohyun’s lack of response, the man seemed puzzled.

The moment Dohyun met the man’s eyes, he realized.

‘Ah, so that’s it.’

That the guy was wearing a mask.

It was because he felt a very familiar emotion in the eyes he had just met.

It was hostility.

But the hostility was somewhat faint and ambiguous, so Dohyun was unsure.

‘What day is it today? Suddenly, these events are happening one after another.’

Wasn’t it too different from yesterday, which felt as peaceful and warm as spring?

He just diligently leveled up, but…….

Events were popping up as soon as he graduated from the beginner city, making Dohyun inwardly sigh with a reasonable suspicion that his coordinates had been marked.

‘If it’s fate, it’s fate.’

It would be wise not to associate with someone who was expressing their ulterior motives with their whole body, but…….

‘I can’t stand the *jjipjjipham* [a feeling of unease or discomfort].’

Dohyun wasn’t generous enough to ignore someone who showed hostility towards him.

He couldn’t just let it go because he felt uneasy.

How many times had he let something like that go, only for the snowball to grow and explode all at once later?

“Ah, I’m sorry. I wasn’t expecting it… If you’d do that for me, I’d be grateful.”

“Haha, it’s nothing. Then I’ll invite you.”

So Dohyun put on a mask too.

He smiled innocently, pretending not to know anything, and shook hands.

Ding-.

[‘BastardSword’ has requested to join the party.]

[Do you accept?]

When he pressed confirm, the conversation paused for a moment on the translucent hologram window that floated up on the bottom left.

And Dohyun saw.

[‘BastardSword’s party is formed.]

[Party Leader]

-BastardSword [LV24]

[Party Members]

-AmazingHolyPiston [LV24]

-Ultimate10ClassArchmageItself [LV24]

-Kaiser [LV20]

The moment he saw the party list, BastardSword flinched.

And so did the two behind him.

All of them, for a brief moment, had a darker look of hostility in their eyes.

‘They know me.’

It was strange.

He hadn’t done much yet, and Dohyun was seeing them for the first time.

He didn’t know how they knew Dohyun in that situation.

But he would soon find out.

Because he would soon find out and tell him.

“Then we’ll enter. Is that okay?”

“Yes. I’m ready.”

“Then let’s go in~!”

With BastardSword’s energetic shout, they moved to the entrance, and soon a message appeared.

[You have accepted the dungeon entry.]

[You will enter the dungeon ‘Goblin Chieftain’s Lair’ shortly.]

[Goblin Chieftain’s Lair]

-Grade: Rare

-Type: Normal Dungeon

-Description: A place where a brave warrior and legend of the Green Goblins, who was cursed and left the tribe, resides.

[Entry Limit: 4 people]

[Entry Level Limit: LV24 or below]

[Entering the dungeon.]

‘Let’s see what they’re up to.’

He waited comfortably for the dungeon to be entered, and soon his vision flickered and he entered the dungeon.

* * *

[You have entered the Goblin Chieftain’s Lair.]

“Hmm.”

Dohyun, after checking the message, looked around and let out a slight exclamation.

The structure of the dungeon was very different from the outside.

Outwardly, it was just a cave in the forest, but the inside definitely felt like a residence.

A feeling of a cave decorated as a residence?

The torches on the walls were neatly arranged, and there were quite a few stairs and ornaments.

‘I’d believe it even if they said a native tribe lived here.’

It was so well developed that it was worthy of being called the chieftain’s lair.

Next, Dohyun checked the party members.

This was because he thought they might reveal their true colors now that they were in the dungeon.

“Oh, it feels like something’s here?”

“The place where the chieftain lives is different.”

“Isn’t it like the president for us? It has to be this level.”

“Well, that’s true. Hehe.”

Contrary to expectations, however, they were chatting about trivial things with innocent faces.

As if they were so busy looking at the dungeon that they couldn’t even pay attention to Dohyun.

It was such a natural sight that someone without much experience would have thought, ‘Did I misunderstand?’

Even Dohyun had that thought for a moment.

‘I’ll know if I keep watching.’

He would know whether his hunch was right or not as he cleared the dungeon.

Whatever it was, they didn’t seem to be doing anything yet.

That’s how he was slowly walking around, looking around.

Kilik? Kilik!

“Huh?”

The moment he turned the corner of the hallway, he encountered two goblins.

Even at a distance of less than 20m.

Seeing the goblins, who seemed flustered by the unexpected encounter, screaming their unique cries, BastardSword drew his sword.

“I guess they’re scouts.”

“There’s no need to take positions for this. I’ll take care of it.”

With those words, BastardSword rushed forward.

His sword, which rushed smoothly as if moving on an ice rink, cut through the goblin’s waist.

It was a Charging Slash.

As it was a skill that all swordsmen basically had, he also had Charging Slash.

Swish-!

‘Hmm?’

But his Charging Slash was somehow unique.

After the Charging Slash, he slipped a little more and slashed the sword once more.

‘Is that a trait too?’

Whether it was a unique ability or a trait, considering that it was a phenomenon that didn’t exist in Demonic Land, it seemed certain that it was one of the two.

Kiek!

The goblin, who had suddenly suffered an attack, was angry and rushed in with a leap, but it couldn’t reach BastardSword.

Clang-!

It was because AmazingHolyPiston, who had appeared out of nowhere, held out his shield.

The goblin’s expression was dazed, surprised that his desperate attack was blocked in vain.

“Oh, nice. But you didn’t have to help.”

“I get restless if I don’t do this. You catch that guy.”

“I will…… Huh?”

Bang! Keek!

Before BastardSword could finish speaking, a fireball flew and engulfed the remaining goblin.

The goblin seemed to be in considerable pain, as the firepower was considerable.

The two people who saw the goblin rolling on the floor, engulfed in flames, turned around at the same time.

There was Ultimate10ClassArchmageItself shaking his staff. ItsSelf grinned as their eyes met.

“If you don’t catch it quickly, I’ll catch it?”

Red flames were forming on his staff.

“That won’t do.”

BastardSword frowned at that, but he didn’t want to give in, so he moved quickly.

The goblin also attacked him as he rushed in, but BastardSword skillfully dodged and knocked away his weapon before stabbing his sword into his neck.

[You have defeated the Red Goblin Scout.]

[‘BastardSword’ acquires the Red Goblin Scout’s Nail as a contribution reward.]

…….

[The scout’s death is reported to the chieftain.]

“Whew.”

“Easy, easy.”

Them having dealt with two scouts in an instant shrugged their shoulders as if this much was easy.

Then they belatedly discovered Dohyun and gave him an awkward smile.

Looking at their innocent smiles, Dohyun thought.

‘Not bad.’

Their words that their items were good seemed to be true, as their power was considerable and their control wasn’t bad either.

Their teamwork was also quite good.

Among them, the mage’s power was especially considerable, and seeing that, it wasn’t for nothing that fire-attribute mages were among the top in firepower.

[The goblins, sensing the death of the scouts, are swarming in.]

“Ah, more are coming.”

“It’s not scouts this time, but soldiers.”

As if having a relay battle, goblins were coming right away.

This was the concept of the Goblin Chieftain’s Lair.

Due to the chieftain’s cowardice, one of his traits, the chieftain never came forward first.

He constantly sent soldiers to take his place, and the users had to overcome the goblins’ attacks and reach the boss room.

And the goblins that appeared became stronger and stronger.

Ta-ta-ta-ta-.

It was the same now.

The goblins that appeared, echoing multiple layers of footsteps in the cave, were definitely different from the previous scouts.

Unlike the scouts who held daggers, their weapons were long spears, and their physiques were more sturdy.

Even while looking at the soldiers who were pointing their spears like angry bulls, the party members didn’t readily step forward.

Rather, they took a step back.

“Would you like to catch them this time, Kaiser?”

“We’ll step in right away if it’s dangerous.”

“We caught them all earlier, so I think you’ll be disappointed. Feel free to step forward. Let’s also match our teamwork.”

Dohyun snorted inwardly at their words, as if they were doing him a favor.

They took down only five scouts with the three of them, and now they’re telling him to face three soldiers alone?

Their intentions were obvious.

‘I guess they want to see my skills.’

If they were curious about Dohyun’s level, he had no reason not to show them.

Leaving behind them, who weren’t moving an inch as if telling him to step forward, Dohyun slowly approached the goblin soldiers.

‘I’ll play along for a while.’

A bitter smile was on Dohyun’s lips.