The Return Of The Genius Ranker Of All Times [EN]: Chapter 36

36.

“This crazy bastard… so you’d rather we all die together than hold hands?”

To them, Do-hyun didn’t seem normal.

Well, honestly, they were planning to take him out as soon as they cleared the dungeon.

After all, raiding would consume his stamina and health, and in that situation, they had a numerical advantage, increasing their chances of winning.

But whatever, that’s all in the future.

Isn’t it obvious that they should choose a way to survive right now….

“Who said anything about dying together?”

“……?”

“Do you even know what your Selfish Defense skill blocks?”

“Of course, physical attacks…….”

Selfish Defense.

A skill that negates physical attacks until a certain amount of magic damage is received upon activation.

A skill as useless as paper if there’s a mage in the party, but conversely, there’s no better skill when there are only physical damage dealers.

That was why they always included a mage here.

The mage’s firepower itself wasn’t important; it was because they needed a mage to complete the strategy.

“Then here’s a question.”

At this point, Do-hyun thought.

“What do you think damage from status effects would be classified as?”

“……You don’t mean…?”

Bastard Sword’s face turned pale, as if he had realized something.

But he soon dismissed it as absurd.

“No, there’s no way a swordsman would have such status effect skills.”

“Yeah, swordsmen don’t have that.”

That was true.

Swordsmen don’t have such status effect skills.

There are skills or equipment with other useful status effects, but at least there weren’t any that dealt damage.

But Do-hyun wasn’t a swordsman.

Swish-.

Do-hyun took something out of his inventory and grinned, causing Bastard Sword to be shocked.

A short dagger about 80cm long.

“T, that’s the Assassin’s Dagger!? How did you get that……!”

“Is it because it’s my friend’s? You recognized it right away.”

“No way. You got it as a drop? No, before that, how can you even use it?”

It was the rare+ grade dagger he had obtained from Assassin Boy, the Assassin’s Dagger.

A dagger with a ‘Bleeding’ effect. There was no way his friend wouldn’t know about that option. Assassin Boy had kept the fact that he dropped the dagger a secret, so he couldn’t have imagined it.

And even if he had imagined it, would he have thought that a swordsman would use a dagger?

His head was still swimming, but that was it.

“Pfft…! Hahaha!”

Screech! Screech!

As the opening was revealed, the elite soldiers immediately swung their spears, but instead of defending, he was laughing.

After rolling on the floor and having his HP drop to 60% in an instant, he stopped and said mockingly.

“All you could think of was bleeding? If bleeding damage could take it down, why would we call a mage? We’d just pick an assassin or a rogue.”

“…….”

“The tricky thing about bleeding is the anemia effect that appears when it lasts for a long time. It’s not an option you use expecting damage. Heh heh.”

The smile on Bastard Sword’s face, who was chuckling, turned bitter.

“You stupid bastard. Fine, let’s all just die together.”

“…….”

“Hey! Just don’t block! Just die. He’s going to die anyway.”

“What’s that s… Ah, damn it!”

The paladin, who had hesitated for a moment at the word ‘die,’ simply threw down his shield.

Yeah, they weren’t the only ones dying anyway.

Thinking that way made him feel a little less wronged.

If he dropped his gear, wouldn’t that be a bigger loss for that bastard, since he had better gear?

He was satisfied just knowing he could cause him a loss.

‘We could say we killed him.’

This would also give him a reason to talk to Assassin Boy, so this was a good outcome.

That’s what he thought.

“Invest 15 in Strength. Invest 5 in Perception.”

Stab-.

[The stat difference is overwhelming. The effect of the Assassin’s Dagger is activated.]

[The opponent’s Perception is high. Bleeding is triggered.]

[You are afflicted with the ‘Bleeding’ status. Damage is greatly increased due to the overwhelming stat difference.]

[You have been stabbed in the heart. The effect of Bleeding is amplified.]

[Your HP is below 50%.]

“Huh……?”

Until the moment he was stabbed in the heart with the dagger.

The moment he was stabbed, Bleeding erupted, and his HP began to drain at a crazy rate.

Bastard Sword’s face turned pale at the unbelievable speed.

“W, what is this……!”

Overwhelming stat difference?

As with most games, God of Creation Online also tends to double the effects of skills or almost ignore them altogether as the stat difference increases.

‘I’m a higher level, so what the hell is this!’

But this didn’t make sense.

Even if he had better gear, he was level 24, and that guy was level 20.

Moreover, Bastard Sword’s current state had his health and defense rivaling that of a sub-tanker due to his unique ability.

But how much of a difference would there have to be for such ridiculous damage to occur?

[Your HP is below 30%.]

“Ah… Ahh…….”

Even as he panicked, his HP continued to drain, quickly dropping below 30%.

At that, Do-hyun admired with a bright face.

“Oh, the damage is being applied better than I thought.”

Demonic Realm was a realistic game.

The same was true for God of Creation Online, which shared the same settings as Demonic Realm.

The damage increased depending on how much force was put into the sword strike, and the damage weakened if the stance was awkward.

Of course, there was some correction, and that was the concept of minimum and maximum damage.

‘The same goes for effects like Bleeding.’

Isn’t it natural to bleed more if you stab the heart or aorta?

Of course, not everything works realistically.

If it did, it would go beyond reality and become something that couldn’t be called a game.

For the sake of such balance, they tweaked minor details, and ‘Bleeding’ was one of those elements.

And this was why they were especially careful of vital spots when fighting rogues or assassins.

Because they had a lot of these elements.

‘The degree and duration of paralysis also varied depending on how long the paralytic poison was absorbed into the body.’

The same went for Dark Vision, and assassins had all sorts of disgusting elements.

Seeing the damage, he momentarily wanted to invest all the remaining points into Strength, but Do-hyun barely held back.

He had already invested to some extent in Agility and had many speed amplification options, but he felt more comfortable leaving at least 20 points since there were still many low stats.

Anyway, it was Bleeding damage that had received all sorts of buffs for that reason, but there was no way Bastard Sword could accept it.

“What kind of bleeding is this… Damn it, this is a hack. You dirty bastard. You’re a hacker, aren’t you…….”

Stab-.

[You have killed player ‘Bastard Sword’.]

[Player ‘Bastard Sword’ has been identified as ‘Evil’. Karma is not increased as it is recognized as self-defense.]

“Anyway, their repertoire is always the same…….”

Of course, there was no obligation to convince him.

As he quickly sent him off to the afterlife in this dungeon, the dropped items fell, and at the same time, the paladin’s shout was heard.

“Jaehwan! God damn it……!”

He was so out of his mind that he called his friend by his real name.

He couldn’t accept the reality that two of them had died in an instant, leaving him alone.

‘Why did this happen?’

Where did it all go wrong?

‘Should I have killed him before entering the boss room in the first place?’

No, the plan was perfect.

Using the boss’s aggro was the most efficient way. If he had anticipated that the guy had noticed their plan…….

Screech! Kick!

[The aggro of the Red Goblin Elite Soldier is released as player ‘Bastard Sword’ dies.]

[The Red Goblin Elite Soldier recognizes ‘Kaiser’ as an enemy.]

Slash- Crack!

[You have defeated the Red Goblin Elite Soldier.]

[You have defeated the Red Goblin Elite Soldier.]

“Oh, what. Why are they dying so quickly.”

……That thought had no choice but to stop the moment he saw the elite soldiers collapsing with the sound of bones twisting.

“……Unbelievable.”

Just 5 seconds.

That’s how long it took to kill two elite soldiers.

The elite monsters, who had more than 70% of their health, even if they weren’t at full health, died in the blink of an eye.

The resentment that had been deeply ingrained in the paladin’s angry face disappeared in an instant.

Instead, what took its place was a sense of futility.

‘……No, I shouldn’t have started in the first place.’

Tying him up and killing him? To a guy who can 5-second kill two elite soldiers?

Fighting 3 on 1 wouldn’t have been much different in the first place.

He just shouldn’t have listened to Assassin Boy’s request.

No, he just shouldn’t have gotten involved with that guy.

He shouldn’t have smurfed [played at a lower skill level than his actual ability], and he should have lived a normal life, scouted by a guild, and lived a life of success.

“Let’s see how long you last.”

Step by step.

Even as the guy approached, there was nothing the paladin could do.

How could he do anything to such a monster?

Screech! Kick!

The goblin chieftain was swinging its fists in front of him, and an even more terrifying monster than this guy was approaching from behind.

If that’s the case…….

‘I’d rather die to the boss.’

He had already thrown away his shield a long time ago.

His health had already dropped below 30%, so that would be a wiser decision.

But.

“I can’t let that happen.”

Do-hyun, who had been smirking, was already right in front of him.

“Ah…….”

He wasn’t even given the right to choose who he would die to.

The paladin, gritting his teeth, shouted desperately.

“You bastard. Do you know what guild I’m in……!”

But those words couldn’t continue any further.

Stab-.

Do-hyun, who had already come close, slipped the dagger in.

His carotid artery was pierced, and he coughed as he grabbed his neck. Messages appeared in front of him.

[The stat difference is overwhelming. The effect of the Assassin’s Dagger is activated.]

[You are afflicted with the ‘Bleeding’ status. Damage is greatly increased due to the overwhelming stat difference.]

[You have been stabbed in an accurate vital spot. The effect of Bleeding is amplified.]

[Your HP is below 20%.]

‘What is this…….’

His health was draining at a similarly rapid rate.

He felt like he knew why Bastard Sword was so surprised and screamed so much.

It was damage that made you want to call it a hack.

Even as he panicked, his health continued to drain, and it only took a few seconds for him to die.

[You have killed player ‘AmazingPaladinForSale’.]

[Player ‘AmazingPaladinForSale’ has been identified as ‘Evil’. Karma is not increased as it is recognized as self-defense.]

Clatter- Bang!

The shield fell to the floor, his figure disappeared, and the goblin chieftain slammed the innocent floor.

At that, Do-hyun wore a satisfied expression.

‘The damage is being applied better than I thought.’

Well, it couldn’t be helped.

[Player: Kaiser]

[Level: 20]

[HP: 2,290 / 2,500]

[MP: 410 / 650]

[Stamina: 260 / 350]

[Class: The Last Adventurer [Apostle of Kasiyar]]

[Title (3)]

-Favorability Max from the Start?

-The First Slayer

-King of Time Attack

[Stats]

[Strength: 50(+38)] [Agility: 35(+37)]

[Constitution: 5(+37)] [Perception: 27(+36)]

[Magic: 5(+34)]

Remaining Points: 36

Thanks to boldly investing 15 in Strength, he now had a total of 88 Strength.

It wasn’t a Strength stat that a level 24 user could withstand. With Bleeding created with such stats, it couldn’t be weak.

But even considering that, the damage was too bizarre, and there was a reason for that.

[Bleeding]

-Grade: Rare

-Restriction: Rogue Class

-Description: Rogues who confuse their opponents using all sorts of tools.

It is said that all those who fight against such rogues have no choice but to bleed.

-Effect: After using the skill, inflicts the ‘Bleeding’ status for 10 seconds upon the next successful attack.

The effect may be reduced if the stat difference with the target is large, and the duration and damage may be adjusted.

-Cooldown: 15 seconds

Bleeding, a rare skill obtained with a random skill ticket this time.

‘I was wondering, but it really does stack.’

Originally, the same status effect skills do not stack.

That was the accepted theory.

If they did stack, the curse caster would be the strongest.

But that was only in the case of skills from the same class.

If the curse caster’s ‘Weakening’ skill and the earth mage’s ‘Slow’ skill overlapped and one was removed, wouldn’t one side feel wronged?

Therefore, God of Creation Online made it so that even if the effects overlapped in the case of different classes, they would stack up to a certain number of times.

That was the problem.

‘They probably didn’t expect me to use a rogue skill with an assassin weapon.’

Perhaps they left it as a way to utilize the Weapon Master trait.

Even if a rogue uses an assassin weapon, they’re still a rogue. The artificial intelligence must have judged that this was okay.

But what a pity?

‘This is great for me.’

Do-hyun was the one and only user who could use the weapons and skills of all classes.