The Return of the Genius Ranker of All Times - Chapter 191

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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 191

Episode 191.

‘…What?’

What did I just hear?

She has to die?

I’m going through all this suffering to save her, so what kind of nonsensical talk is that.

Did my bewilderment show on my face?

Angela continued speaking with a bitter smile.

-You’ve heard about the lantern ritual, Luidra, and the current situation of the city, haven’t you?

“…Yes.”

-Then this will be quick. I’m maintaining my sanity because I felt the flow of mana and received external stimulation, but the others aren’t. They’re simply asleep.

True slumber where no dreams are permitted.

Without any stimulation, a state no different from half-corpses with only their bodies remaining.

That was the current state of the cursed residents.

“Then shouldn’t you wake up even more?”

That’s why I couldn’t understand.

What can wake them from eternal slumber is the power of the Purification Ember and the necklace.

And Angela was the one who could handle it best.

There was no reason for her to die in this situation.

But she shook her head.

-I can see it. The unstable mana flow of the necklace that’s on the verge of complete destruction. In that state, it can only wake one person at most.

“Then…”

-You’d have to take the necklace’s power that’s melted into my body to restore its complete form.

By this point, even Dohyun could understand.

What she was trying to say. She wasn’t wishing for death.

-If you save me, the necklace will break. But if you absorb the energy melted into my body… you can save countless people.

There was simply no other way.

To absorb the body’s energy, they would have to take all the life force as well, and that meant death.

‘No, this is what it meant for her to become the key?’

Naturally, I thought it would use her power.

I thought it would utilize her eyes that see the flow of mana, but Angela herself was truly the key.

I was so dumbfounded by this absurd situation that I couldn’t speak.

Where and how should I even begin to explain this.

I couldn’t tell whether I should stop her or encourage her.

-I broke a taboo. I’ve been given a chance to atone for my sins. I should be grateful that such an opportunity has arisen.

“…Is that true?”

Instead of Dohyun, an answer came from elsewhere.

A little distance away from Dohyun.

It was Gilberun, who should have been busy trying to wake Angela.

He was looking at the empty air that Dohyun was staring at with very sad eyes.

“Is that really true, Angela?”

-Rune? How…

“Since the Hero was staring at empty air, I had a hunch and concentrated my mana. To think you’d speak to another man before me – I’m jealous.”

-B-but I definitely controlled the mana flow…

“Did you forget? How vast my mana is. Even you in your complete state found it burdensome, so I think you underestimated me too much.”

-Ah…

Gilberun couldn’t see Angela.

She could see Gilberun, but to Gilberun’s eyes, it was just empty air with nothing there.

But why was it?

To Dohyun’s eyes, it felt as if the two were looking directly into each other’s eyes.

‘They’re alike.’

Perhaps it was because their gazes were so similar.

The eyes of someone who senses eternal separation from their lover.

Bitterness, sadness, resentment, desperation…

A whirlwind of countless emotions that couldn’t be explained in a single word was glimpsed in that brief moment.

“Angela…”

But if there was a difference between the two.

Unlike Angela who had finished making her resolution during her sleeping time, Gilberun still couldn’t accept it.

Seeing his melancholy eyes, Dohyun quietly stepped back.

‘…Let’s give them space.’

‘Yes, Owner… That would be better.’

‘Rizariza.’

‘I think the same, Master.’

This wasn’t Dohyun’s time.

It was the last time given to Gilberun before sending away the wife he had staked everything on.

Perhaps thinking the same, Luliel and Hyde also carefully stepped back.

-…It’s nice to see you like this, Rune. You seem to have many more wrinkles.

“…Someone made me suffer mentally, so. You’ll have to help me like before. Without your nagging, I stopped taking care of my skin.”

Angela let out a soft laugh and smiled with her eyes crinkled.

She must have remembered one of the daily routines that used to be natural.

Though it was happy enough to make her laugh just thinking about it, Angela shook her head.

-Rune…

“…Don’t say it. I don’t want to hear it.”

-Rune…

“Please. Can’t you just stay with me? 2148 days, the time you’ve been gone. During that time, I never forgot you for even a single day.”

-…

“The world calls me a wise king, but I’m not such a grand person.”

Taking one step closer, Gilberun spoke with a cracking voice.

“I just want to walk through the garden with you again, eat warm meals together… I’m just an ordinary man no different from others, for whom my wife and family are most precious.”

-…Rune.

“You can curse me for being selfish. Even if everyone throws stones at me, I’ll accept it gladly. So can’t you just close your eyes and take my hand?”

Saying this, Gilberun carefully extended his hand.

Looking at the hand placed slightly to the side of where Angela was, Angela squeezed her eyes shut.

She wanted to take that hand right now.

She wanted to eat warm meals together, stroll through the garden looking at flowers, drink tea, nag him about needing to wash up and sleep, then fall asleep in his embrace.

When she was trapped in eternal slumber, she had resolved to do anything if she could regain that daily life.

Squeeze-

Just once.

If she just closed her eyes and took that hand once.

She could regain all of that daily life.

-…That’s not right.

But she absolutely couldn’t do it.

-We broke a taboo. Because of that, innocent people became victims. Even now, I can clearly see the faces of those lying like cold corpses, and the people shedding tears beside them. I always wanted to make it right.

“…”

-Now that opportunity has come. But you want us to betray those who trust us? Because of my one selfish desire?

Angela’s voice trembled as if choked up, and her eyes reddened.

Blue tears were flowing down her cheeks.

Out of habit, Angela started to turn her head away, not wanting to be seen, then stopped. She realized that Gilberun couldn’t see her anyway.

But at that moment.

Swoosh-

A shadow fell.

Something was holding him.

“Angela.”

It was Gilberun who had approached at some point.

He had come toward where the voice could be heard and was carefully embracing her.

An embrace between soul and living being.

Though nothing could be felt, everything was felt.

What his embrace felt like. What he was trying to say. Even what each other was thinking.

“I know everything. So I wish you would stop driving yourself so hard.”

-…Hic. Sob.

“I’m sorry. For being selfish.”

-…Actually, I lied. I want to walk with you, eat together, lie side by side and fall asleep. I wanted to close my eyes and pretend not to know while holding that hand.

“…I know.”

-I missed you so much.

“I know. I too…. I missed you so much.”

The two people with their eyes tightly shut stood still just like that.

They instinctively sensed it.

That this moment would be their last. That the time to say goodbye forever was approaching.

Ding-

[Emergency Quest ‘Angela’s Wish’ has 20 minutes remaining.]

[The purification ritual must be completed within 20 minutes.]

[Hidden event ‘Final Lantern Ritual’ will begin shortly.]

What broke the moment they wished could last forever was a single message.

‘Ah, way to kill the mood.’

‘Owner, don’t you know about manner mode?’

‘…How do you know about that?’

‘I heard the Apostles talking about it in passing? Isn’t that what you say at times like this?’

I heard there were NPCs who quoted players’ words, so Jihad must have been one of those cases.

Even so, who would have thought I’d hear a word like manner mode.

Just as I was chuckling at the absurdity.

Swoosh-

The sunset faded and night arrived.

Looking at the dark night sky where even the moonlight had disappeared, Angela took a step back.

-There’s no time. We need to start now. I’m reaching my limit for maintaining this state too.

Angela’s soul, growing fainter by the moment, proved that there truly wasn’t much time left.

As the message said, it was time for the hidden event to begin.

-Rune. This is our last chance. Now let’s correct our mistake.

“…Angela, will I be able to do it?”

However, compared to Angela who wiped away her tears and spoke boldly, Gilberun seemed somehow withdrawn.

“You know it too. That I can’t control mana. If I go berserk during the ritual, then I’ll commit an even greater sin….”

Touch.

At that moment, Gilberun’s eyes widened at the strange sensation felt on his lips.

Clearly nothing could be felt, yet somehow it was a familiar and warm feeling.

-What are you saying, Rune. You’re not alone.

And then came a gentle voice.

-I’m here, aren’t I.

“But you’re already… we can no longer feel each other.”

-It’s what we always did. Listen to my voice and imagine what we’ve been doing together, then slowly try to control your mana. You’ve been able to control mana all along. What was confining you was just limitations you set for yourself and fear….

“….”

-I’m by your side, Rune. Nothing will change.

Saying this, she extended her delicate hand and spoke with a bright smile.

-So let’s do this together. Like always.

“Ah….”

As if enchanted, he reached out his hand and they naturally overlapped like magnets.

She was right.

What did it matter if they couldn’t see or feel each other.

They were by each other’s side.

“I’m sorry for showing you such a pathetic side.”

-Now you’ve returned to the Rune I knew.

“Then… shall we dance together? Like we always did.”

-Yes.

Holding hands like this, they slowly closed their eyes.

[The key has been completed.]

[The power of the fragment dwelling in Angela’s body is being absorbed into the ‘Broken Necklace of Truth’.]

[The flame of life of Pratel’s Queen, Angela, is being extinguished.]

‘Ah….’

The brilliant energy flowing from Angela’s body seeped into the necklace and was gradually restored.

At the same time, Angela’s skin was rapidly losing its vitality.

But the two people kept their eyes closed and remained standing in that same position.

-We always started by holding hands and touching foreheads.

“I remember. In that position we turned our heads to look to the side.”

Then, based on memory, they took their positions and turned their heads to look to the side.

-Here I place my foot and take one step.

And then one step.

“Here I lead and take one step.”

And then another step.

-You remember everything. Even though quite a lot of time has passed.

“…I thought of it every day, so it would be stranger if I didn’t remember.”

-Even if it’s just words, that’s nice.

“Ho…. Shall I show you if it’s just words?”

With those words, the two began to move in earnest.

As they held hands and stepped like dancing a waltz, light began to emanate following their footsteps.

Like water droplets falling on a water surface.

The naturally spreading waves of mana were brightly coloring the forest like paint dropped on drawing paper.

Whoosh-

Rustle-

Each time they danced, life sprouted in the gloomy forest.

Withered plants took on a fresh green color, and the dry rustling thicket began to make soft rustling sounds.

“…What is this?”

“The purification ritual…. To think the day would come when I’d see this again….”

“This is the purification ritual?”

When Dohyun asked in surprise at Hyde’s words, Luliel, who had approached at some point, continued.

“Dancing a waltz together according to the flow of mana. It was said to be the best method for guiding a king who couldn’t control mana along the path of mana she could see, making it easy for him to feel mana.”

“I see.”

“Watch carefully. This purification ritual will be the first and last you’ll see as Apostles….”

Luliel, who had trailed off, shook her head and corrected herself.

“No, it will be a true Lantern Festival.”

“Ah….”

And at that moment.

—-!

“Ugh?”

-Wh, what is this? This tremendous mana…! This is an impossible amount!

-Ri, Risa!

A massive magic circle was drawn beneath Gilberun and Angela’s feet.

The forest shook violently from the tremendous waves of mana.

The Holy King of Pratel, who couldn’t use magic due to his complete inability to control mana, but whose innate mana capacity was said to rival that of an Archmage.

That rumor was true.

Whooooosh-!

‘…No, at this level, doesn’t he have more mana than an Archmage?’

Anyone who saw such a tremendously large magic circle would have no choice but to acknowledge it.

Soon, the magic circle expanded beyond covering the entire forest and stretched toward the city.

[Hidden Event, ‘Final Lantern Ritual’ begins.]

[Due to the occurrence of a hidden event, you will be moved to the city.]

[Location has changed, Guardians will be forcibly moved.]

A message rang out and his vision flashed, and when he opened his eyes, the greatly changed cityscape greeted Dohyun.

The dark night sky.

Lanterns rising from buildings, alleyways, and shops gradually illuminated the surroundings as if chasing away the darkness, and the river flowing through the city where small boats floated held brilliant light like a spreading sunset.

It was a different light from what he had seen during the Lantern Festival.

[Lanterns containing Purification Embers are rising.]

They weren’t simple lights, but lanterns containing actual Purification Embers.

“…Huh? Looks like the Lantern Festival is starting.”

“Wow! It’s beautiful! Huh? But isn’t the light a bit different?”

“That’s… right? Was it this beautiful before? It feels like it became higher quality somehow?”

“Lanterns containing Purification Embers? What’s this?”

At this, players without exception stopped walking and looked up at the lanterns.

It wasn’t just the players.

Creak-

“…Ahh.”

“This is… Could it be the lantern ritual?”

“My goodness, wasn’t Lady Angela supposed to have passed away?”

“What in the world…?”

NPCs who opened their windows and NPCs walking through the city became dazed at the familiar yet strange brilliance.

The moment a thought of ‘could it be’ flashed through their minds.

An urgent cry from a resident burst out.

“E, everyone come out and see! This isn’t the time for this! David! David opened his eyes!”

“D, daughter! Are you coming to your senses?!”

“Waaaah! Everyone! Everyone come see! Father opened his eyes!”

Those cries weren’t from just one place.

Starting from one house, scream-like wails burst out from everywhere.

[The Final Lantern Ritual opens.]

[Behold the beauty of the lanterns.]

It was the beginning of the true Lantern Festival.

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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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