The Return of the Genius Ranker of All Times - Chapter 184

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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 184

Episode 184.

Fierce Strike.

A skill that could become an incredible combo technique depending on usage, or conversely, become a skill that couldn’t even match an ordinary charge slash.

Such Fierce Strike was always like an assignment that swordsmen had to solve.

-When is the best timing to use Fierce Strike?

-Why are you curious about that, old man? Don’t tell me you’re coveting Fierce Strike and planning to change classes?

-It’s not that, you brat. I’m just curious because you always seem to utilize it so well.

Because of this, such questions always followed, and Purple Uncle, who was very interested in Fierce Strike, was one of them.

If it were him, he’d probably just use it for dealing damage and going on a rampage.

He was amazed by Dohyun and the Sword Master who always used it well in various ways.

At that time, Dohyun had said this.

-The first hit is important. Before stacking up to five strikes, the stagger and knockback are weak, so it’s easy to get blocked. You have to put in as many feints as possible to throw them off.

-Then after stacking five strikes?

-From then on, what timing is there? You just beat them down.

-Ah.

The reason many swordsmen had trouble using Fierce Strike properly was because the effect of Fierce Strike was minimal before stacking five strikes.

After stacking five strikes, the range, movement distance, damage, and even stagger and knockback.

It boasted effects that lacked nothing, and once you got properly caught, you had no choice but to get beaten like a dog on a hot summer day.

When you came to your senses, you’d find yourself at the maximum stack of ten strikes.

[You are in a Five Strike stack state.]

[The power of fierce strikes intensifies, increasing stagger time and knockback strength.]

[Damage is amplified.]

Just like now.

Thwack! Crack! Thump!

‘Ah, this feels good.’

[Kyahaaaaak!!!]

Six strikes, seven strikes, eight strikes, nine strikes…

The fierce strikes that followed in rapid succession were pounding Luidera like a club massage.

The satisfying feel of a properly landed Fierce Strike after so long made him feel completely refreshed.

Already in poor condition due to the ice techniques, getting pushed back and staggered every time she was hit by Fierce Strike must have been maddening for Luidera.

[Luidera’s health is below 15%.]

After beating her down frantically like this, 5% of her health disappeared in an instant.

An incredible speed that made the 10% damage dealt so far seem insignificant.

At this rate, it seemed entirely possible to finish her off with just dozens of Fierce Strikes.

After all, a properly landed Fierce Strike boasted DPS comparable to any legendary-grade skill.

However, Luidera was supposedly a hidden named raid boss.

Though momentarily flustered, she wasn’t the type of boss to go down so obediently.

[How dare you… such humiliation!! I am the Dream Witch recognized by ‘That Person’ and the ruler of nightmares! You should be the one trembling in fear!]

Screech, whoosh-!

Luidera, who had transcended the limits of physical structure due to various buffs, managed to straighten her posture even while being pushed back, overcoming impossible angles and limits.

Crack-

With a grotesque bone-cracking sound, the bent scythe was swung faster than Dohyun’s sword, with the momentum to slice his neck.

At this rate, Dohyun would be the one taking a counter.

[Die, insolent Disciple!]

It was a desperate crisis, but Dohyun was smiling.

This much was within his expected range.

It wasn’t his first or second time using Fierce Strike, and this didn’t even qualify as a crisis.

“I don’t know what ‘That Person’ is, but they don’t seem to have good judgment.”

[…What?]

With those words, Dohyun’s figure disappeared.

Crackle-

Then sparks felt from behind.

Dohyun, who had used Backstab, was swinging his sword.

[You are in a Nine Strike stack state.]

‘This is why Fierce Strike has high versatility.’

If it were simply about swinging the sword repeatedly to cause knockback, Fierce Strike would just be an ordinary skill.

The reason Fierce Strike had good versatility was that you could use other skills in the middle of it.

A short time of just over a second.

Only skills close to instant-cast could be utilized, but if conditions were met, countless flashy skill combinations could be created.

‘I never thought the day would come when I’d use Backstab as a combo.’

For Dohyun, who was an all-master, this was a given.

Though the enraged Luidera turned around again to swing at Dohyun, he deflected with parrying as if he had expected it, then spun to continue with the tenth strike.

Luidera’s side was cut, and blood poured from her white skin.

She tried swinging her scythe in pain, but her body wouldn’t move properly, and in the end, she was the one getting cut.

Kyaaaaaaaa!!!

[Hidden Raid Boss ‘Nightmare Ruler Luidera’ uses Nightmare Shriek.]

Her desperate shriek shot out in the form of a shockwave.

Powerful enough to sweep away everything in front.

It was a shockwave fired from an absolutely unavoidable distance, but even this couldn’t reach Dohyun.

[Using Backstab.]

[Mark disappears.]

Because he still had one Backstab left.

Looking at the nape of the neck clearly exposed before his eyes, Dohyun gripped Heavenly Transformation. Then explosive energy burst out momentarily.

[You are in a Ten Strike stack state.]

[Maximum stack state. All amplification values reach maximum.]

[If used within 1 second, you can continue fierce strikes.]

[Using Sword Aura – Slash.]

[Delivers a powerful strike proportional to the damage accumulated on the mark.]

The combination of Fierce Strike’s stacking damage and Sword Aura.

It was one of Dohyun’s favorite finishing moves from his Demroc days and a skill combo he was confident in for destructive power.

One was lacking, but instead, the powerful strike of Backstab was added, so in terms of destructive power, it was even greater.

‘There’s absolutely no way to dodge this.’

The slash drawn down at the perfect angle fell toward Luidera.

[Hidden Raid Boss ‘Nightmare Ruler Luidera’s health is below 10%.]

Remaining health: 10%.

A sufficient amount to reach death with this one blow containing a finishing move.

[Ah…]

At that moment, in a world that felt slowed like slow motion, Luidera caught a familiar scent.

It was both familiar and strange.

The Nightmare Marsh where countless deaths gathered.

Here, a scent like perfume was emanating from herself for the first time.

‘This is the first request That Person made of me. I was so close to fulfilling it.’

Her sun and savior.

The being who awakened the life of the strong in her, a worthless girl who had been a slave.

She was so close to fulfilling their request.

Just a little more and she could have successfully brought back ‘that thing.’

[Like this… I cannot die like this.]

It became an obsession.

The determination to achieve recognition from the being who had saved her became madness beyond obsession, and caused Luidera’s body to go berserk.

Kaaaaaaaah!!

[Phase 3 is activated.]

[Luidera draws forth the source of nightmares.]

[All of Luidera’s traits disappear and she transforms the surrounding 5M radius into her unique space.]

[All skills and buffs of targets within the unique space are dispelled.]

‘Crazy… What?’

Dohyun frowned at the bone-chilling scream for just a moment.

Soon after, he was shocked by the message that appeared.

He had thought there would be a Phase 3, but a skill dispel pattern?

The abilities shown so far had already been unconscionable enough, but this was going too far.

[Sword Aura – Slash activation is canceled.]

[The energy of Fierce Strike dissipates.]

[Thunder Dragon Descent is dispelled.]

[Powerful Strike disappears.]

[Ice Current vanishes.]

‘Damn!’

But now wasn’t the time to complain.

All buffs and skills had truly been canceled.

The all-out burst damage he had sacrificed everything for had turned to nothing in an instant.

[Health is below 30%.]

[Mana is below 20%.]

To make matters worse, both his health and mana were hitting rock bottom.

With cooldowns forcibly activated, there were virtually no skills available to use.

Meanwhile, Luidera still had various dream buffs applied.

The situation had reversed in an instant.

[Die for That Person, Apostle of Prophecy.]

Luidera’s colorless eyes flashed as she swung her massive scythe.

Considering the stat difference, he was overwhelmingly disadvantaged, but Dohyun didn’t give up.

He still had one shot left.

[Using the Seal of the Holy King.]

[The power of faith activates, reducing all skill cooldowns by 65%.]

A seal that drastically reduced all cooldowns.

[What…?]

It was an overpowered effect that could nullify Luidera’s ultimate pattern, but the timing wasn’t good.

Even with a 65% reduction, there were no skills immediately available.

[Using Thunder Dragon Descent.]

[Using Bleeding.]

At best, he could use Thunder Dragon Descent and Bleeding, which had been used long ago.

‘This is better than nothing.’

But even this gave him breathing room.

As soon as he activated Thunder Dragon Descent, blue light flashed in the sky and lightning in the shape of a dragon struck down.

Kwaaaaang-!

[Krugh…!]

Due to that monster’s reflexes allowing it to dodge, he failed to land a direct hit and couldn’t deal fatal damage, but it was enough.

Thanks to that, he could buy time.

[Using Madness.]

[For 90 seconds, 1% of health decreases per second while stats and all speeds increase proportional to current health percentage.]

[Mana is below 15%. Please be careful.]

‘Tch, if I used that thing, it would have been easy… Can’t be helped.’

Using ‘that thing’ he had recently discovered by chance would severely drain his mana.

With his current mana, it was out of the question.

The only consolation was that he was fortunate to have saved it instead of using it continuously.

If he had used it recklessly, he wouldn’t even have this much mana left.

[Just what kind of being are you! Even for an Apostle of Prophecy, this doesn’t make sense!]

“That’s my line.”

After putting in such a pattern, who exactly was supposed to be able to defeat this?

At this rate, it would be absolutely impossible to defeat solo. Well, when had it ever been easy? Dohyun gritted his teeth and gripped Heavenly Transformation.

What both of them, feeling wronged, had to do now was one thing.

“Yeah, let’s see who wins until the very end.”

[Kaaaaah!!!]

A slugfest.

Neither had any attack skills.

A battle of souls conducted purely through physical ability and control would determine victory.

And in such fights, Dohyun had never been defeated.

Slash! Stab!

Though it seemed they were fighting evenly with small wounds appearing on each other’s bodies, both could feel it.

[Kahaaaaak! Why! Why won’t you die!!!]

It was Luidera who was gradually being pushed back.

The massive scythe was drinking Dohyun’s blood less frequently, while Dohyun’s weapon transformed into various forms of armaments, easily tightening around Luidera’s neck.

Stab! Crack! Bang!

Slash- Stab stab!

Block the scythe with a shield, cut with a sword.

When distance opened, thrust with a spear, and in close combat, a dagger would strike vital points or he’d use martial arts to weaponize his entire body.

A truly desperate battle.

The fight that began evenly gradually became advantageous, and at some point had become one-sided beating.

Thud-

[Hidden Raid Boss ‘Nightmare Ruler Luidera’s health is below 1%.]

Finally, she fell to her knees, closer to the swamp of death than anyone.

“That was disgusting. Now just die already.”

At Dohyun’s breathless words, the blood-covered woman raised her head.

She could see the sky.

A colorless sky where no life could be felt.

It was the same color as her emotions before being saved in the past.

[Truly… is this how it ends.]

Black tears, identical to the colorless world, flowed down her cheeks.

[I’m sorry. Despite receiving grace, this incompetent one cannot fulfill even one of your requests.]

“What is That Person? You keep going on about That Person, let’s hear it.”

[The Five Suns and Moons… those who will become the true owners of Abtartel. They are the owners and salvation of all things.]

Some might call it a nightmare, but to her it would be salvation.

They are the true owners of the world.

Sensing something ominous in the voice filled with firm belief and conviction, Dohyun asked.

“…What kind of people are they?”

[They are not beings that the likes of you should dare to know about.]

“So you won’t tell me?”

[Do you think you have the qualifications! You, an apostle who couldn’t even complete all the trials! But don’t be curious! On the promised day, they will appear. Everyone will receive true salvation through death! Kyahahaha!!]

Luidera’s voice, screaming in evil fury, rang out clearly.

The voice filled with madness truly believed it.

“If you won’t tell me, fine.”

[Kyahahaha…! Kuhek!]

Feeling disgusted by her gaze like that of a typical fanatic fallen into a cult, Dohyun thrust his sword into her neck without hesitation.

It didn’t seem like waiting longer would get him any more information, and Dohyun had reached his limit anyway.

And honestly, there was no real need to hear more.

[You have defeated the Hidden Raid Boss, ‘Luidera, Ruler of Nightmares.’]

[As the first to defeat Luidera, boss-related equipment items are guaranteed to drop.]

[When harvesting the essence orb of Hidden Raid Boss ‘Luidera, Ruler of Nightmares,’ equipment items are guaranteed to be obtained.]

[Recorded in the Adventure Log.]

[Level increased.]

[Level increased.]

[You have achieved an Incredible Achievement.]

[Due to your Incredible Achievement, the title ‘Incredible Stats’ has been activated.]

[All stats increased by +5.]

[Recorded in the Adventure Log.]

….

A parade of messages filled with various rewards.

[You have learned of the existence of unknown entities.]

[You have obtained information related to the Main Quest.]

‘Main Quest?’

The text floating at the end was explaining exactly that.

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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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