The Return of the Genius Ranker of All Times - Chapter 177

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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 177

Episode 177.

He simply couldn’t contain his laughter.

No matter how much he tried to hold it back, it leaked out through the corners of his mouth.

‘Perfect. It’s flowing too perfectly.’

Everything was proceeding exactly according to plan, almost too well to believe.

Some comments were even written exactly as he had predicted, down to the last syllable!

That’s how many simulations he had run, and now he was reaping the fruits of that labor.

Just thinking about the benefits he would gain if this raid team succeeded was enormous. This wasn’t just about recovering his image.

He could leap forward one step, no, five steps at once.

-But what are they going to do if they fail after causing all this commotion?

-That’s what I’m saying. If it’s the first hidden raid boss, it must be incredibly strong. Are they confident?

-If they fail miserably and get completely wiped out like that, they’ll look like total idiots lololol

-Hahahahaha that would be even funnier. Actually, I like it.

There were many mocking comments predicting failure, but Berjhe snorted with derision.

‘Stupid fools. Do they think I’d proceed without any preparation?’

Even singers go through dozens of rehearsals before taking the stage, so naturally he had completed all sorts of preparations before the raid.

Those preparations naturally included actual combat experience.

No, rather, because it was a first clear, they had no choice but to practice through real combat.

Since there was no known information, they had to clash directly to learn the characteristics and patterns while researching strategies.

‘We attempted nine tries. If we just do as we practiced, it’ll be enough.’

For that purpose, even though they had finished the Luidera raid quest in just three days, they needed four more days.

And now they had finished their preparations.

Led by the elite Dark Horses with Jerpak at the front, there was no way they could fail if they just followed their practice.

Though it boasted tremendous strength befitting the title of first hidden raid boss, with 15 people attempting it, there was nothing they couldn’t defeat.

‘Once this succeeds, I can connect it to that thing in the Empire.’

When that time comes, no one will ignore Hero Guild anymore. No one will ignore the name Berjhe.

They would become a true quasi-Top 10 Guild.

Berjhe slowly closed his eyes, envisioning a brilliant golden future.

‘Right, there’s no way I could fail.’

How difficult had it been all this time.

Ever since Kaiser appeared, nothing had gone right.

But now that was all in the past. This time, no one could block his path.

Not even if it were Kaiser!

“Hmm… Kaiser…”

Berjhe, who had been steeling his resolve, let out a contemplative sound at the name that suddenly came to mind.

In fact, the biggest variable in this raid team was none other than Kaiser.

He was an irregular.

An unpredictable existence who always produced extraordinary results.

He had been wary of what strange route Kaiser might use to interfere with him again.

That’s why when they said they’d recruit anyone, he had thought it wouldn’t be bad if Kaiser joined.

It would be better to put him in the raid team and control him while keeping him in sight.

‘I received a report that he didn’t join the raid team. No one has seen him come out since he entered the royal palace.’

Then was he still progressing through a quest inside the castle?

There were rampant rumors that it might be a main quest, so it would be a lie to say he wasn’t concerned, but for now it was actually good.

The raid team had already departed, and he was inside the castle.

Even if he wanted to interfere, there was no way for him to do so.

But why was it that…

‘…What is this uneasiness?’

He didn’t know the reason, but the uneasiness wouldn’t go away.

That Kaiser being this quiet.

Tap, tap.

Berjhe, who had been tapping the desk with his index finger out of habit, soon shook his head.

It was unnecessary worry.

Logically, interfering in this kind of situation didn’t make sense.

“Jerpak just needs to manage the raid team well.”

The only realistic variables right now were the players participating in the raid team.

And Hero Guild’s lieutenants weren’t soft enough to be unable to control mere ordinary players.

Berjhe, who had objectively assessed the situation once more, smiled.

“I should prepare to enjoy a feast.”

Thinking of wine and steak for tonight’s dinner, Berjhe leaned back comfortably in his chair.

* * *

Meanwhile, while everyone’s attention was focused on the Luidera raid team.

Dohyun, who had heard the shocking secret of the Lantern Festival, was letting out a hollow laugh.

‘So this is why they called it a half-hearted festival.’

Now he could understand why Luliel had clicked her tongue while watching the Lantern Festival.

With the purifying flame gone, the Lantern Festival had become merely a formal festival.

The dark expressions of the residents – was that also related to this?

It seemed highly likely.

‘…So that’s why they said you violated the taboo.’

‘Ugh, of course something would go wrong with that.’

‘Risa risa.’

The creatures were right.

According to Abtartel’s doctrine, people experiencing hardships and suffering was preparation for happiness.

It was understood as God’s trial to make them stronger.

Forcibly liberating people from that trial was not within human authority.

If Brion had known this fact, they would have been furious long ago.

Lvebed’s tide-cutting sword might have been displayed in Pratel this time.

“At first, everyone was happy. It gave hope to those who had lost the will to live, and they were sufficiently happy just being with their loved ones. Watching them, I believed I was doing the right thing.”

“…”

“Until exactly six months.”

Happy without working, happy just breathing.

Then who would bother trying to move forward?

Something about shadows being necessary for light to exist.

When suffering disappeared, the value of happiness actually decreased, and everyone stopped and stagnated in place.

Gilberun and Angela, who belatedly realized the severity of the situation, tried to stop the purification ritual.

“But by then it was already too late.”

All kinds of negative emotions, wounds, and suffering.

When those disappeared, they ended up awakening one being.

The master of nightmares and witch of dreams, Luidera.

She awakened from her long slumber in fury, and Pratel became a wasteland due to her rampage.

“Caught off guard by the sudden attack, we who had grown soft in peace were instantly defeated by ‘that thing’. As a result, countless people fell into eternal slumber without even being able to fight properly. Angela as well… Grind.”

“Your Majesty…”

“I’m fine. I cannot fall yet.”

Hyde worried about Gilberun, who was trembling beyond just gritting his teeth.

Gilberun’s face was full of regret and frustration.

“Don’t you know? That one must not carelessly touch those who have fallen into eternal slumber. That was for the best.”

“…I know that too. I wish I had been cursed instead.”

“Please don’t say such things. What would be the point if Your Majesty disappeared?”

He was so frustrated that Angela had sacrificed herself in his place.

But most regrettably of all, he couldn’t even lay her down in a room where she could rest comfortably.

Because if you carelessly disturb someone who has fallen into eternal slumber, they may never wake up again.

Gilberun had no choice but to announce Angela’s death and set up barriers to keep her safe while obscuring the path.

“Without Luliel… I wouldn’t have been able to endure.”

And it was Luliel and the White Tower Master who helped him with that.

The White Tower Master provided practical help to protect Angela, while Luliel gave him hope that the prophesied apostle would someday appear.

‘Many people have been afflicted with the curse of eternal slumber… So that’s why the residents looked so gloomy.’

All of them must have had their precious ones in the same situation as Angela.

If they spoke of it to outsiders, they’d be burned at the stake, so they couldn’t tell anyone and could only suffer in silence.

This much he understood.

However, there was one point that was far too puzzling.

‘Why can only an apostle solve this predicament?’

This was the city right before the Empire.

At the same time, it was the only city where residents called their ruler a king rather than a lord, despite the Empire’s proclamation.

Being such a city, the level of the knights was incomparably different from the previous cities.

Just looking at the Knight Commander or Luliel the prophet, most players probably wouldn’t even dare to think of competing with them.

‘And yet these people who can’t catch it are entrusting it to a mere apostle?’

And setting everything else aside, it was extremely natural and universal common sense that NPCs were stronger than apostles.

It didn’t make sense that they would rely on a player for something even they couldn’t catch.

Was there some restriction that only apostles could catch it?

The answer to that question was roughly similar.

“It’s because of that witch’s characteristics.”

Luidera has two characteristics: the Room of Dreams and the Room of Nightmares.

The characteristic of creating her own unique space and freely exercising her authority.

The Room of Dreams was manageable since its area of interference was small, but the problem was the Room of Nightmares.

Anyone who has been invited to the Room of Nightmares even once receives the Mark of Nightmares.

“Those marked with the Mark of Nightmares cannot inflict fatal damage on her until they die.”

“…Regrettably, I too bear that mark.”

Knight Commander Hyde quietly showed the back of his hand.

There, a wailing skull was carved like a tattoo.

“Besides us, all the knights have this mark somewhere on their bodies. It’s a terrible mark that only disappears upon death.”

It was because they had no defenses when that thing appeared.

In other words, the only ones who could catch that thing were the immortal players who could revive even after death.

Then the question naturally arose of why they hadn’t entrusted the request to apostles until now…

“How could we entrust a request? Everyone in Abtartel knows how loose-lipped apostles are. If word spreads that we’ve violated the taboo, both Brion and the Empire will attack from both sides. Could we handle that?”

“…That’s true.”

Just look at how all sorts of news spread whenever Dohyun caught even a single field boss.

He could guarantee that if they told even one player about violating the taboo, knights would arrive and news would spread to the Empire within ten minutes.

“Only you remain.”

The only straw they had to grasp was Dohyun alone.

“It’s shameful, but we’re in a position where we can neither request help nor directly kill that thing ourselves. Please… could you help us? I’ll guarantee the reward on my name, Gilberun.”

“…”

“I want to save the sleeping people, to save Angela. Please, could you help us set things right?”

Ding-

[The chain quest ‘Spark of Purification’ connected to Angela’s Secret is generated.]

[Spark of Purification]

-Grade: Hero+

-Description: The Dream Witch, Luidera.

Only the Spark of Purification that this terrible nightmare has stolen can free Angela and the people from the curse of eternal slumber.

Let’s steal the Spark of Purification from Luidera.

-Clear condition: Spark of Purification (0 / 1)

-Reward upon clear: 1,000 gold, massive experience points, special event occurrence

-Risk upon failure: If you fail to obtain the Spark of Purification and die, it will be considered a failure, and favorability with Gilberun may decrease significantly.

-Time limit: None.

Not just Hero grade, but Hero+ grade quest.

However, Dohyun’s expression was ambiguous.

‘The rewards are too lacking compared to the difficulty.’

While it was rare for a single quest to give 1,000 gold, you don’t clear a Hero+ quest just to get some gold and massive experience points.

There were no substantial objective rewards. So Dohyun focused on the final reward.

‘There must be something in that special event.’

He didn’t know what kind of event would occur, but that was surely the key.

Of course, just because it was an event didn’t guarantee it would be good.

In fact, there were cases in Demroc where clearing a quest that triggered an event actually resulted in being backstabbed.

Conversely, there were also events that provided tremendous benefits or led to incredible quests.

It was a somewhat gambling quest, but Dohyun had no reason to refuse.

‘I need to wake Angela to get the Fragment of Fate anyway.’

Dohyun wanted to wake Angela just as much as Gilberun did.

However, there was something he needed to make clear first.

“I have conditions.”

“…What are they? If it’s within my capabilities, I’ll grant anything.”

Looking at the slightly tense Gilberun, Dohyun carefully chose his words.

‘I need to secure clear ownership of the necklace.’

It had been confirmed that Angela wasn’t dead and the item wasn’t a relic, but rather was the source of this incident.

If he asked for it, they would reasonably give it to him, but still, these things needed to be made clear.

“I need two things.”

“What would those be?”

And Dohyun didn’t want the broken necklace, but the complete Fragment of Fate.

Dohyun spoke with a very resolute expression.

“I need the necklace and Lady Angela.”

“…?”

And then a moment of silence passed.

“…What did you say?”

“Ah.”

In the suddenly chilled atmosphere, seeing Gilberun’s eyebrows twitch, Dohyun hesitated.

It seemed like his words had come out wrong.

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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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