The Return Of The Genius Ranker Of All Times [EN]: Chapter 73

73.

The man who blocked the attack with his shield was knocked on his rear by the unexpected force.

He slid back, crashing into the line of players behind him.

“Hey, what are you doing!”

“I couldn’t help it… What’s with the shield damage? I thought I was blocking a boss attack.”

The formation crumbled like dominoes.

They were veterans, though, and quickly reformed, but that brief opening was all Do-hyun needed.

Whoosh-.

Do-hyun, grabbing the returned shield, spun 360 degrees and threw it again.

The large shield flew like a boomerang, and those without shields scrambled out of the way.

A path opened.

Clatter-.

Do-hyun didn’t bother picking up the shield and just ran.

“St, stop him… Cough!”

“Heok!?”

“What kind of brute…!”

Some belatedly tried to block him, but they were either sent flying or tripped by Do-hyun’s charge.

Do-hyun burst through, reaching out again,

Whooong-.

“Ugh?”

“Jeez, you scared me!”

The shield returned along the same path, and they had no choice but to part like the Red Sea.

By the time they came to their senses, Do-hyun was long gone.

“…He’s fast.”

“Yeah.”

The scouts stared blankly, dumbfounded.

They couldn’t understand what had just happened.

‘What was that? What just went by?’

‘He just graduated from Raven, right? How is this possible?’

‘What kind of damage… What traits and gods did he pick… And what’s that weapon? An S-rank reward?’

‘Wow, this is insane.’

They had heard rumors about Kaiser.

They were wary and had a strategy, but… it was all crushed. Strategy or not, they were overwhelmed.

His power was overwhelming, and his skill and sense were insane.

They scratched their heads, feeling like they’d been robbed blind.

“…Damn it, what am I supposed to report?”

“Reporting this is depressing. Who’s going to believe we got owned like that?”

“I don’t know, damn it. I guess I’ll write a report…”

They were dismayed by the future they could see.

* * *

[You have entered the city of promise, Brion.]

[Tip. If your Karma score is too high, visit the temple!]

“Hoo.”

Do-hyun took a short breath as he entered Brion.

Jihad and Eliza, who had been hurrying to keep up, wiped the sweat from their foreheads and complained.

-That was a surprise. Who were those guys, Master! Why did they suddenly attack us?

-Liza…!

The two, unaware of the situation, were understandably bewildered.

They had been resting peacefully, and suddenly the world had turned against them.

So, this time, Do-hyun didn’t ignore them and kindly explained.

“It’s because I’ve become unintentionally famous, so I have a lot of enemies.”

-Enemies? If they’re Master’s enemies… are they targeting foreigners?

“You could say that.”

-…Does this mean it’ll be like this every time? Ugh, just thinking about it is tiring.

-Liza….

They understood faster than he expected.

Jihad and Eliza made disgusted faces as they imagined the future. Do-hyun chuckled and said,

“I don’t like it either. I’m not going to put up with it forever.”

-But you said they’re targeting you. Can you really stop them?

“Yes. I have to stop them.”

-How?

Do-hyun smirked at Jihad, who tilted his head.

He had faced countless enemies like this in Demlock. How many hyenas and wolves had he met on his way to the top?

There were enough backstabbers to fill several trucks.

The solution was always the same.

“I just need to get stronger. So strong that they can’t even look me in the eye.”

-Ah.

People are inherently opportunistic to some extent.

It’s not a bad thing; it’s instinct.

Since the days when the strong ruled, survival rates increased by assessing opponents before attacking.

Beyond humans, it’s a natural instinct for animals and the way of the world.

-I understand.

And Jihad, whose instincts were stronger than anyone else’s, understood immediately.

It was just like Jihad, whose Guardian trait even included ‘strength against the weak’.

‘It’s all because my position is ambiguous right now.’

Who would dare to attack Myeolsal or Arthur?

They were in the top 10 guilds, possessed overwhelming personal strength, and had proven it.

But what about Do-hyun?

‘I must look very tempting.’

To them, Do-hyun was a golden goblin [a creature in folklore known for guarding treasure].

A honey pot with huge rewards for the difficulty of obtaining it.

Past number one? Amazing control?

They know all that, but right now, isn’t he just a newbie who just entered Brion? And if they catch a newbie, they can level up quickly?

‘Oh, that’s a great deal?’

‘It’s worth a try?’

They couldn’t help but think that way.

So, he just needed to get stronger.

If he got stronger and regained his former position, they would fall away on their own.

‘I have a reason to level up quickly.’

At least he had to reach the level cap to be on the same starting line.

Fortunately, each city had a level limit.

At least he wouldn’t have to worry about being ganged up on by enemies who were dozens of levels higher, a situation where balance was thrown out the window.

In that sense, Do-hyun was confident.

‘I understand after fighting ordinary users. How ridiculous my stats are right now.’

Do-hyun’s level was only 27, but his stats were as high as, if not higher than, the graduation level of 35.

With Thousand Transformations and his traits, he wasn’t afraid of anyone.

“Look over there….”

“Oh, is that Kaiser? Wow. It’s my first time seeing Kaiser.”

“Should I ask for an autograph?”

“Shh. Look at those scouts glaring. Let’s avoid getting caught in the crossfire.”

Because of this, Do-hyun walked confidently despite the attention he received as soon as he entered Brion.

The attention grew stronger, but who cared?

“Ugh, if it weren’t for being in the city….”

“If we fought, we’d go straight to jail. What can we do?”

“But I heard that he broke through a group of enemies from the next town in just 10 seconds. Is that true?”

“Is that even possible? They’re probably just exaggerating because they’re embarrassed about losing.”

As long as they were in Brion, they couldn’t touch a hair on Do-hyun’s head.

God of the Century didn’t interfere with PK [Player Killing] in the field, but it showed a completely different response if the stage was inside the city.

There were differences between cities, but usually, assault resulted in imprisonment.

If assault was like that, what about murder?

‘You basically have to delete your character if you don’t have connections.’

That was why hundreds of scouts were watching, and even more users were looking at Do-hyun with interest but not approaching.

Step, step.

Like the parting of the Red Sea, the users split.

And Do-hyun’s party walked confidently through the middle as if a red carpet had been laid out.

Everyone was watching them.

Jihad, feeling like he was the main character of the world, made his signature keereuk- sound before quickly covering his mouth.

Even so, he couldn’t help but grin.

-Ahem. This feels good.

-Liza…!

“Be quiet and follow me.”

-Tch, you always scold me… But where are we going? Huh? Is that….”

As they got closer to their destination, Jihad’s expression hardened.

Magnificent. That was the word that came to mind when he saw the overwhelming sacredness and size of the temple.

Brion, also known as the city of divinity, had many temples.

But even those countless temples couldn’t compare to this one.

‘Lair Grand Temple.’

Brion’s landmark and symbol, Lair Grand Temple.

Brion’s largest temple, home to the strongest priests and paladins.

Even the kings of other countries couldn’t treat this temple lightly.

“What? Are we going to the Grand Temple?”

“Why are we going there?”

“What do you mean why? Everyone in Brion goes to the Grand Temple. Is Kaiser unemployed? Is he going to do a job quest?”

“Kaiser is a god. Does he need a god? Maybe he’s really unemployed.”

“Yeah, stop talking nonsense.”

People whispered as Do-hyun headed there.

“Job quest… What’s Kaiser’s job?”

“I heard he’s a swordsman?”

“He uses almost every weapon, though?”

“Didn’t you see the NewTube [in-game video platform] video? He uses parrying, so he’s definitely a swordsman. Maybe he got a Weapon Master trait.”

“Huh? Kaiser has a NewTube channel? I’m going to check it out as soon as I log out.”

“I wonder what god he chose.”

“Of course, it’s a mythical god, right? He’s shown what he’s capable of, so it makes sense.”

“Really? He hasn’t shown any unique abilities, so I don’t know.”

They were making all sorts of guesses.

Do-hyun listened to the sounds with one ear and ignored them. He stood in front of the Grand Temple entrance, and a guard approached.

“What business do you have here?”

“I’ve come to see the Grand Priest.”

“Do you have an appointment?”

“No.”

The guard, who had asked in a stern voice, shook his head.

“I’m sorry, but you can’t meet the Grand Priest without an appointment. I can help you with other matters.”

He was so firm that even if he had an appointment, he would have flinched at his coldness.

But Do-hyun wasn’t flustered at all.

With an indifferent face, he took something out of his inventory and secretly showed it to the guard.

“I found this. I think I need to talk to the Grand Priest.”

“This is…?”

“If you show this to the Grand Priest and he still refuses to meet me, I’ll leave.”

“…Please wait a moment.”

The stiff guard hurried inside.

After waiting for several minutes, about the time it takes for a cup of ramen to cook, the guard returned.

But he wasn’t alone. He was accompanied by two priests who looked around anxiously. As soon as they saw Do-hyun, they asked,

“Is this the person? The one who brought ‘that’?”

“Yes.”

“Ah… I see. I’m sorry for the long wait. The Grand Priest wants to see you right away. Please come in.”

“I understand.”

Then, one of the priests who saw Do-hyun’s companions asked cautiously,

“Ah, but who are these people?”

“They’re with me.”

“I understand. This way….”

The priests and guards, looking around and making secretive gestures, led Do-hyun.

Creak. Thud.

As they disappeared inside, the users who had been holding their breath and watching finally opened their mouths.

Their faces were bewildered. It was the first time they had seen such a sight.

“What’s going on? Did the priests just come out to greet him?”

“He’s going to see the Grand Priest? Does the Grand Priest even meet ordinary users?”

“He meets a few….”

It was the Grand Priest, after all.

It was amazing that the priests had come out to greet him, but it was even more surprising that he was going to meet the Grand Priest so easily.

Unless you were a paladin or priest, you couldn’t see the Grand Priest even until you graduated from Brion.

“Who in Brion has met the Grand Priest?”

“Myeolsal is a prime example. Most of the top 10 guilds, Berzerk, and Arthur? I think Phoenix Jennifer and Baekdu Mountain have also met him?”

The man, counting on his fingers, folded them all and added,

“…Whatever the case, it’s rare. I think there are about 10,000 people.”

“And if you take out the related jobs?”

“Maybe… officially, there aren’t even 1,000?”

“Crazy….”

Only about a thousand people out of a game enjoyed by a billion people.

He had broken through that incredible probability.

And right after coming to Brion!

Gulp, the sound of someone swallowing could be heard. The anticipation in their eyes was clear.

“Every move he makes is extraordinary.”

“Am I the only one who thinks Kaiser is going to cause another big accident?”

“Is he going to show us? Is he going to take the throne after Myeolsal and Berzerk?”

“Berzerk is a bit much… but because it’s Kaiser, I’m looking forward to it. I’m subscribing right away and waiting. I hope he uploads a video.”

Kaiser, wouldn’t he show them something again?