The Return of the Genius Ranker of All Times - Chapter 133

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 133

Episode 133.

What made Dohyun freeze were the three rewards that appeared before his eyes.

[You have obtained Shadow Lycanthrope’s Fang, Shadow Lycanthrope’s Hide, and Shadow Lycanthrope’s Claw as rewards.]

“….”

The infamous junk item trio.

Dohyun sighed at the rewards that were essentially worthless bricks in Demroc.

“I should have known….”

It seemed he had been seriously mistaken all this time.

He had been getting decent equipment thanks to first-time benefits like guaranteed equipment drops and drop rate buffs.

And he had foolishly thought he was just lucky lately.

‘Well, at least the bricks are gone.’

Since these were rare-grade junk items, he could still get a decent price selling them as crafting materials.

Thinking back to the old days when you’d just get plain bricks and play brick-breaking games, this was already a blessing.

Still, it wasn’t like he gained nothing at all.

‘Is it because I used aura for the first time? My swordsmanship proficiency rose quickly.’

Weapon proficiency doesn’t increase easily after surpassing LV10.

Considering he had just reached level 16 recently, this was incredible speed. It seemed the combination of Sword Aura and Shadow Cloak gave bonus points.

That wasn’t all.

[Player: Kaiser]

[Level: 42]

[HP: 5,860 / 6,200]

[MP: 1,140 / 3,240]

[Stamina: 630 / 910]

[Class: Last Adventurer 【Heir of Kashiyar】]

[Titles (11)]

-Max Affinity from the Start?

-First Slayer

…(Expand)

[Stats]

【Strength: 95(+96)】 【Agility: 84(+96)】

【Stamina: 5(+100)】 【Perception: 42(+84)】

【Magic Power: 50(+85)】

Remaining Points: 36

‘Damn… Devour is so sweet.’

Not just his level.

His stats looked even better thanks to the Devour effect from First Slayer that he was enjoying after so long.

His highest stat, Strength, had more bonus stats than base stats, and Stamina had reached a full 100 in bonus stats.

‘This is really ridiculous.’

Could there be anyone else whose bonus stats overwhelmed all their base stats?

It might be common in the late game, but he was confident there wasn’t a single person like this at this stage.

Even Dohyun himself found these numbers hard to believe.

His mood, which had soured from the junk items, quickly recovered as he closed the status window with a smile.

He felt like he could stare at it all day without getting bored, but now wasn’t the time for that.

‘It’s hidden somewhere around here, right?’

Dohyun’s original purpose for coming here. It was time to find the item Jin had hidden.

Finding it wasn’t too difficult.

[Eye of Truth activates.]

As he looked around, the Eye of Truth activated and he could see red lights in various places.

“This is really overpowered.”

While others would struggle to find items even knowing they were hidden here, he could find them just by looking around.

With a satisfied smile at this generous cheat ability, Dohyun approached the red light.

The first visible light was by the cave wall, in a crack between rocks.

“…Paper?”

It was a half-torn, old piece of paper, and similar papers were stuck throughout various parts of the dungeon.

…Was there really a need to stuff something like this in a rock crevice?

[Old Paper]

-Grade: Rare

-Description: Old paper with someone’s writing on it. You might learn something if you decode the cipher.

But after checking the information, Dohyun nodded in understanding.

‘I guess I need to decode this to find the next item.’

This was probably one of the traces Jin Ruddell had mentioned.

Looking at the paper quietly, he could somewhat understand why no one had properly decoded it.

‘…What did they write?’

It wasn’t a map, nor were there easy-to-understand directions or words written on it.

Just strange signs that looked like primitive cave paintings.

It was probably Jin Ruddell’s best effort given his difficulty exerting physical force in reality, but honestly, calling this a hint seemed unconscionable.

‘Well, that’s not my problem.’

Dohyun turned his gaze to the opposite side.

[Eye of Truth activates.]

A vivid red light on a completely different level from before.

He was certain. The item Jin mentioned would be there.

Dohyun tossed the old paper behind him and approached that spot.

Wouldn’t the people who struggled to decode that paper foam at the mouth seeing this?

‘I need to quickly get this and go meet the Lord… Huh?’

But standing before the red light, Dohyun had to pause.

“Huh? There’s nothing here?”

Nothing was visible.

The red light was definitely emanating, but there was nothing visible to the naked eye.

Even when he swept the area with his hands wondering if there was some mechanism, it was the same.

No, to be precise, there was one thing he could touch.

[Old Fountain Pen]

-Grade: Rare

-Description: A fountain pen running out of ink. It looks quite expensive.

[Recorded in Adventure Log.]

“Huh?”

Was this the paper and pen those players mentioned?

Unable to contain his bewilderment, Dohyun checked the Quest window.

-Jin Ruddell’s Items (0 / 3)

“…Right, it couldn’t be something like this.”

It was probably Jin Ruddell’s, but it wasn’t the Jin Ruddell’s item the Quest was referring to.

“Then what is it?”

-What’s wrong, Owner?

-Is there some problem? Just give this humble sword a command. I’ll investigate with my life on the line.

As Dohyun puzzled over this, the guys also seemed curious and showed interest.

After he roughly explained the situation, they made thoughtful sounds. Then Jihad exclaimed “Ah!” and spoke up.

-Maybe it’s the type where magic activates when you decode that cipher?

-Ho? That’s a plausible theory.

-Risa risa!

In other words, maybe it was an item that could only be found by decoding the map.

…I hate to admit it, but it was quite plausible. If what he said was true, it fit perfectly with the current situation.

‘…Damn, I wondered why it was going too easily.’

My nostrils had been flaring at the thought of showing off some easy pickings.

It felt like my heightened excitement was suddenly cooling down. Just as Dohyun was pondering whether he’d have to decode that mysterious cipher, a sudden thought made his eyes widen.

‘Wait a minute. I don’t necessarily have to decode it myself, do I?’

The one who wrote the cipher on that paper was Jin Ruddell.

And Dohyun was the only Player who could see Jin Ruddell.

Then couldn’t he just ask the original author directly!

-Wow, look at him cheating for real. Isn’t that too much of an easy win?

-Hmm! From ancient times, great figures have always faced countless hardships and crises, but they were also blessed with corresponding good fortune.

-Unfair….

“Hehe, this is it. This is life.”

-…Isn’t that too different from just before, Owner?

It was while he was letting Jihad’s complaints go in one ear and out the other.

Jihad, who had been pouting with his lips stuck out in annoyance, suddenly tilted his head at a thought that occurred to him.

-But Owner.

“Oh, yeah yeah.”

-No, I’m not trying to complain, but thinking about it, isn’t this strange?

“Hmm? What is?”

Dohyun, who had been responding halfheartedly to Jihad’s questioning voice, straightened his posture.

Seeing Dohyun listening attentively for once, Jihad also answered seriously.

-No. You said someone decoded this cipher before. Then why couldn’t that person find what the ghost hid?

“Uh…?”

-Hmm?

The words that came out were surprisingly quite a sharp question.

Sharp enough to make him think ‘Huh? What?’ the moment he heard it.

-I mean, what’s the point of decoding it? You have to bring back the item. Why go there and come back empty-handed!

Jin Ruddell had definitely said that.

He hadn’t thought much of it then, but thinking about it now, it was strange.

If someone had decoded the cipher Jin Ruddell left behind, surely this should have been discovered already.

Someone who met the Lord should have appeared long ago.

‘It’s not a decoding problem either? Then….’

Dohyun focused again on where the red light was coming from.

Next to a corner wall, a rock.

There was a small space between them, but no matter how he looked, he couldn’t see anything there.

But the light continued to emanate from that wall surface….

‘…Wall? No way.’

At the sudden thought, Dohyun let out a hollow laugh.

Rationally, he thought it couldn’t be, but Dohyun’s intuition was ringing as if that was correct.

-…Owner? What are you doing? Why are you suddenly drawing your sword?

Jihad was startled and stepped back at the sight of Dohyun, who had been serious by himself, suddenly stepping back and gripping Heavenly Transformation.

In response, Dohyun answered with actions instead of words.

Kwaang-! Kwang!

-Hiiyaak!?

-Ri, Risa!?

-My lord…?

He had swung Heavenly Transformation at the wall without warning.

They looked strangely at Dohyun who was suddenly unleashing fierce attacks on the wall repeatedly, but Dohyun became even more certain.

‘Only this place feels different.’

While other places felt solid, this place had a strangely hollow sensation.

The difference was so subtle that someone with dull senses wouldn’t notice, but for Dohyun, that was enough.

Bang!

Finally, when the last strike was delivered.

Crash-

The wall crumbled, and soon a new space revealed itself.

An empty space with a radius of about 5 meters.

-Whoa….

-My goodness.

-Ri, Risa!

The guys gaped in amazement.

They never imagined there would be a secret space behind the wall.

“Ha, so it was pointing behind the wall.”

No wonder Players couldn’t find it no matter how much they searched.

How bewildered they must have been when they finally decoded it only to find some fountain pen.

Since they didn’t know exactly what kind of Quest this was like he did, they would have given up there in most cases.

Even if they tried to search more, they never would have imagined there was a space behind the wall.

They probably just saw the Adventure Log recorded and thought, ‘Oh, this must have been for filling the Adventure Log,’ and moved on.

‘This game has so many useless items and Quests because of the Adventure Log.’

That’s how weirdos like Barion are born.

For Dohyun, it was a good thing.

Thanks to that, even though he started a year and six months late, he could be the first to find it.

‘Is this it.’

When he picked up the backpack lying face down in the corner, he saw a letter and something like a badge that had fallen beside it.

As he put all three items into his inventory, a message appeared.

[You have acquired all of Jin Ruddell’s belongings.]

[Return to the hidden NPC ‘Jin Ruddell’ to complete the Quest.]

Dohyun grinned at that.

Now he just needed to complete the Quest and go meet the Lord. With lightened steps, Dohyun turned around without hesitation.

He was planning to charge straight to Jin Ruddell.

[Eye of Truth activates.]

“Huh?”

Just before exiting the secret space.

Until he saw red light coming from far below the floor.

‘Why is it red?’

I found all of Jin Ruddell’s belongings though?

His mind held such questions, but his body was instinctively approaching.

Finally, when Dohyun stood on the floor and carefully caressed the ground.

Click.

Something was pressed, and soon the floor began to open.

Rumble-

The floor opened about the size of two blocks, revealing stairs.

Numerous stairs could be seen leading down below the floor.

Ding-

[You have discovered a hidden Secret Dungeon.]

[Conditions have been met.]

[You can check the Secret Dungeon’s information.]

[You have discovered the Secret Dungeon ‘King’s Tomb’.]

[You are the first to discover the King’s Tomb.]

[First discovery bonus is granted.]

[Experience points increased by +20%.]

[Drop rate increases by +20%.]

“…What the hell?”

It was the moment he discovered the Second Secret Dungeon.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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