The Return Of The Genius Ranker Of All Times [EN]: Chapter 5

5.

“……! Damn it, these mercenaries never listen!”

Charlie’s face turned pale.

They barely have enough coordination, yet they’re acting alone! If they die first, it would be a terrible loss.

He wasn’t even drawing his sword. He looked like he was going to die.

Hehe? Heh!

The monsters seemed amused by Do-hyun’s reckless behavior, chuckling and swinging their clubs.

The club was swung within striking distance.

In a moment, the heavy club would crush Do-hyun’s head and splatter blood.

“Oh no……!”

Charlie was about to rush after him when.

“……?”

He saw it.

Swish- Whoosh!

Do-hyun’s movement, which had been running, stopped for a moment.

Then, as if by magic, the club brushed past his head. It was so close that a mere centimeter [approximately 0.4 inches] would have meant a crushed skull.

Swinging something would naturally ruin your posture.

And the gap that was bound to be revealed.

Crack! Stab!

He kicked the staggering Nol, who lost his balance.

After grabbing the neck of such a guy and breaking it, he stabbed the neck of the Nol next to him, and two guys fell in an instant.

[Critical Hit!]

[Critical Hit!]

It was thanks to the critical hit that dealt double damage by hitting the vital point.

It was also thanks to the Nol’s weak vitality, as befits a tutorial enemy.

Hehe? Hehehe!!

The situation changed in an instant.

The archers, who had been predators trying to enjoy the game, were now prey and hurriedly took their positions.

But the shield to protect them was only one.

Whoosh-.

Do-hyun, who avoided the club swung from the side as a surprise attack with a simple step back, kicked his knee up.

Crunch- Clatter.

A technique to drop a weapon by hitting the hand at the right timing.

Also known as Weapon Drop.

It was one of the techniques that made those who fought Kaiser in the Demonic Era tremble with fear.

I tried it because the system is similar, and fortunately, it worked.

[Using skill ‘Strike’.]

He kicked his body with his foot and finished with a skill.

‘One hit with Strike.’

As a skill, it was a one-hit kill even if a critical hit didn’t occur based on the standard of hitting the right spot.

Hehehe…….

Hehe…….

Now there are two archers left.

There was nothing to fear from the two archers who had lost their guards. Before they could even draw their bows, they were cut in half by Do-hyun’s sword.

Do-hyun, who finished the battle in an instant, lightly shook off the blood on his sword.

I was worried that my body might be stiff because it was my first game in a while, but fortunately, it moves as I think.

‘……Rather, I feel lighter.’

Is it because, unlike VR [Virtual Reality] where I couldn’t feel anything, my five senses are vivid?

It felt smoother than before.

It was when Do-hyun was satisfied with the good fact he had learned.

“Oh my god…….”

Charlie, who had been watching blankly, slowly approached.

Charlie, who looked back and forth between the fallen Nols and Do-hyun as if he couldn’t believe it, exclaimed.

“I can’t believe it… You took care of five monsters alone.”

At the same time, a message popped up.

[Knight Commander ‘Charlie’ is impressed by your outstanding skills, which are different from what he saw.]

[Knight Commander ‘Charlie’s’ favorability has increased.]

‘Favorability?’

It was a system that also existed in Demonic Era.

It was different for each NPC [Non-Player Character], but there were quite a few people who did favorability because they gave rewards if they did favorability.

After learning that even the rewards were gacha [random reward system, like loot boxes], everyone gave up.

Anyway, it was a familiar system, so there was nothing strange about it.

However.

‘Is the standard for rising here a bit generous?’

I was just wondering how my favorability went up after hunting once.

In Demonic Era, one of the hardest things to raise was favorability.

But that was it, there was nothing strange about it.

‘The standards and difficulty are different for each NPC.’

In that respect, Charlie’s standards, which focused on combat, were welcome to Do-hyun.

Even if he wasn’t good at talking, he was confident in combat.

Was it thanks to the increased favorability?

“A swordsmanship and fighting style I’ve never seen before. Which mercenary group are you from? Are all the mercenaries there like that?”

“…….”

“No… that can’t be. You must be very talented. You’re young but amazing.”

Unlike before, when he only said what was necessary for the story, he started talking a lot.

He kept muttering to himself even though Do-hyun didn’t answer, but he turned around as if he had come to his senses at the sound of monsters coming from afar.

“Let’s go first.”

“Yes.”

* * *

Swoosh-! Stab!

After that, Do-hyun continued the battle several times.

The battle was carried out quickly.

When the monsters appeared, Do-hyun took the lead and dealt with them, and Charlie was about to join in late, but he kept admiring them.

“Amazing, such skill! Aren’t you faster than before!”

Whenever that happened, Charlie always said something.

[Knight Commander ‘Charlie’s’ favorability has increased.]

Then, as if it were a set, his favorability went up along with it.

Stab! Crunch-!

“That hand movement of breaking the neck is admirable every time I see it! How can it be so natural and fluid!”

[Knight Commander ‘Charlie’s’ favorability has increased.]

Swoosh-.

“This… It’s like a person born to hold a sword.”

[Knight Commander ‘Charlie’s’ favorability has increased.]

At first, it was just admiration, but now he doesn’t even think about fighting and is busy praising him.

I was wondering if he was thinking while watching the fight, wondering if the comments were all so precious.

‘……Is that guy a reaction bot?’

I’m sure I heard that he had a taciturn and picky personality…….

Moreover, this was not the end.

The reaction bot’s comments started to explode in earnest when the number of monster groups nearly doubled.

Hehe, Heh!

Hehehe-!

Almost ten in number.

Perhaps because there were so many, there were just as many weapons.

Unlike the other guys who only brought weapons such as clubs and bows, this time there were various weapons such as spears, clubs, bows, daggers, etc.

“Oh no……! I’ll participate this time too! Even you will have a hard time with this many!”

Even Charlie, who had only been watching, decided that this was not the case and expressed his intention to join the war.

‘No, isn’t it natural to participate in the first place?’

Do-hyun clearly never told him not to fight, but Do-hyun was already taking the lead.

It was strange, but nothing would change.

Thud!

“No, you?”

Either way, it’s a tutorial mob that dies if you get a critical hit or two.

Whether it’s five or ten, it’s the same.

As he fearlessly dug in, even Charlie, who had been admiring him, was surprised and hurriedly drew his weapon and chased after him.

But it seemed difficult to rescue Do-hyun, who had already dug into the monsters.

Hehe! Hehehe!

Swish! Thwack!

“Oh no……!”

While Charlie was blocking the arrows fired by the archers, the monsters immediately surrounded Do-hyun.

The first to rush in was a monster with a dagger. It was difficult to hit a spear or arrow because they were huddled together.

The dagger with a short range would have been the most ideal.

And that was why Do-hyun bothered to dig so deep.

Thud, Hehe?

The moment he tried to swing his dagger, Do-hyun’s arm blocked his wrist. Then, like a snake, it wrapped around and went inside.

Crunch! Cough!

Clatter.

The dagger fell helplessly as he broke his elbow.

Do-hyun, who snatched the falling dagger in the air, immediately stabbed the guy’s neck.

[Critical Hit!]

Hehe!! Cough!

The monster next to him rolled his eyes and swung his club at the death of his colleague, who had died in vain for a moment.

The guy’s chin came into Do-hyun’s view, who was crouching down. As he raised his chin with his palm, a chilling sound rang out and the guy’s head went up to the sky.

As he pulled out the dagger stuck in his neck and stabbed his neck, the guy fell helplessly.

He ended up facing the same death as his colleague.

Kiek! Cough!

The guys who were surprised by the sudden death of two people did not get close and kept their distance.

They instinctively felt that it was dangerous to create a one-on-one situation. But Do-hyun’s movements were unwavering, as if he had expected this much.

Whoosh- Stab! Crunch!

[Critical Hit!]

After throwing a dagger and hitting the eyes of the guy moving away, he picked up the club and swung it.

The guys who lost one more colleague in such an absurd way.

The archers, who somehow kept their distance, hurriedly pulled their bowstrings, but Do-hyun’s movements were so elusive.

He…… Hehe……?

Whenever they tried to hit him, he miraculously disappeared behind his colleague.

Still, they seemed to have developed a sense of persistence and fired a few shots, but as expected, they only hit the backs of their innocent colleagues.

“Oh my god…….”

Charlie stared at the scene with a look close to astonishment, beyond admiration.

He easily dropped his weapon and was hunting with it as if it were his own weapon.

It’s not enough to train with one weapon for a lifetime, but how can he handle so many weapons so well?

Even Charlie, who had been on the battlefield many times, had never seen such a battle.

Not only that.

There is no blockage in the process of creating advantageous positions and situations.

He was smoothly and easily taking the high ground and leading the battle to victory as if it were natural.

No successful mercenary, not even a knight, showed such artistic movements.

But a mercenary he was seeing for the first time was showing such courage and power?

A feeling that he was walking his own path, deviating from the standard of common sense.

People would later call such people this.

‘Hero…….’

Perhaps he is seeing the starting point of a heroic narrative that only appears in history?

What he had been longing for since he was young…….

Kie…… Kyaak!

It was then that he heard the monster’s piercing scream.

One of the monsters, who was looking at Do-hyun like a demon, was running away in a hurry.

At that, Charlie came to his senses and drew his sword.

‘I have to take care of it.’

He had been blankly watching the overwhelming battle, but Charlie was also a leader.

Dealing with one monster was a piece of cake.

But unfortunately, he didn’t have to step in.

Swoosh- Thwack!

Cough!

Do-hyun’s arrow, who leisurely pulled the bowstring, pierced the guy’s head accurately.

One more shot at the fallen guy.

Only after making sure to finish him off did Do-hyun put down his weapon.

‘Always finish things off for sure.’

There were many bosses in Demonic Era.

Despite being a luck-based game, the difficulty was so high that there were bosses with countless patterns.

Among them, there were quite a few guys who were problematic after being killed.

There were guys who parasitized and parasitized other guys alive, guys who launched a final attack at the moment of death, and even guys who resurrected.

Perhaps because the first game he played was such a game.

After experiencing that horror a few times, he had become accustomed to finishing things off.

I wouldn’t have thought that a mere monster would have such abilities…….

‘Still, it’s unsettling.’

This was a matter of feeling.

It was when he was about to look around to see if there were any monsters gathering around.

Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!

‘Hmm?’

Do-hyun turned his head at the sound of applause coming from somewhere.

Then he saw it. Charlie was now throwing away his sword and clapping.

“……?”

Charlie didn’t stop even at Do-hyun’s eyes, which were looking at him as if asking what he was doing.

No, he’s going even further.

“I apologize.”

“?”

Charlie suddenly apologized with a sincere face.

Do-hyun tilted his head because he didn’t understand, and his eyes hardened. Then, in a serious tone, he spoke in an emotional voice.

“The saying that you were born to hold a sword was an insult to you. You are the incarnation of battle! You are definitely a hero born for war!”

“…….”

“It is an honor to be with a hero like you!”

Charlie put his hand on Do-hyun’s shoulder, who was speechless, and conveyed his sincerity.

Do-hyun, who moved his lips a few times at the sight, closed them again.

He had a lot to say, but the words didn’t come out.

‘An NPC who claps without doing his assigned work…….’

Is this the NPC of God of the Century, which is difficult to distinguish from humans?

He felt speechless at something he couldn’t even imagine in Demonic Era, but he decided to think that it was a good thing.

[Knight Commander ‘Charlie’ is deeply moved by your overwhelming battle.]

[Knight Commander ‘Charlie’s’ favorability greatly increases.]

[Knight Commander ‘Charlie’s’ favorability reaches its maximum.]

[Now he trusts you completely. Even if you commit evil deeds, he will believe you if you say it is a false accusation.]

[Acquired title ‘Favorability Max from the Start?’]

Thanks to that, his favorability went up and he got a reward for reaching the maximum.

Do-hyun checked the title.