The Return of the Genius Ranker of All Times - Chapter 201

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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 201

 

Episode 201.

 

While Dohyun was close with all his companions, the one he had shared the most conversations with was definitely Violet-Flavored Auntie.

 

Whenever Kukkudakkukku and the Sword Master fought, they would always sigh in the background and chat together.

 

‘That was basically the pattern every time.’

 

There wasn’t a single day when Kukkudakkukku and the Sword Master didn’t argue.

 

Whether something bad or good happened, the two were busy repelling each other like two N poles of magnets.

 

Yet it was amazing how they stuck together every time.

 

-If you look closely, it’s not just Kukkudakkukku who’s the problem, that Sword Master guy is also quite the nutcase.

 

-Right, right.

 

-Did I tell you? The place I first met that guy was at a waterfall? He was meditating under the waterfall and said some mouse was hiding, speaking in historical drama style. I really thought he was an NPC.

 

-That guy really is crazy, but you know this is the eleventh time you’ve told that story, right auntie?

 

Was it because Kukkudakkukku was openly insane, and the Sword Master was crazy in a different way?

 

Among these bizarre party members, he would always lament his fate to Dohyun, who was relatively normal, and some of those laments had worn calluses on his ears.

 

It wasn’t an exaggeration – even now he could recall them without missing a single word.

 

Perhaps thanks to that.

 

The conversation with Violet-Flavored Auntie, whom he met after so long, had no awkwardness at all.

 

“How is it that you never fail to cause trouble, man. You’ve been like that since the old days. Always going around doing dangerous things. You’re buried among the other guys, but you’re not exactly normal either.”

 

“I keep telling you, I only do it because it’s doable.”

 

“Oh, is that so? Then you would have won against the Hero Guild this time even without help?”

 

“…That wasn’t my intention. How was I supposed to know the raid bosses would overlap?”

 

As if they had been talking just yesterday.

 

Words flowed out naturally like a waterfall.

 

“Ugh, how many times have I heard you say that? You say it wasn’t your intention, but then you summon a dragon, and thinking about how you suddenly had a death match with an evil dragon still makes me shudder.”

 

“We caught it in the end, didn’t we? If anything, I’m the one who should feel wronged. I did all the tanking and broke all the patterns, but I only got bricks while you got legendary rewards.”

 

“…I have nothing to say about that.”

 

Only after pouring out all their words like that could the two finally close their mouths.

 

Then they looked at each other and let out soft chuckles.

 

“You bastard, you’re still the same. Made quite a flashy comeback, didn’t you?”

 

“Well… I guess so.”

 

“The return of a god and whatnot, you’re doing all the cool stuff by yourself?”

 

“What are you talking about? It just happened that way.”

 

“Just happened to reclaim first place… Sure thing. So when are you going to take off that mask, man?”

 

“Ah, right.”

 

Dohyun hesitated, belatedly realizing he was still wearing a mask.

 

Although they had been close companions for a long time, Dohyun had never shown his bare face to Violet-Flavored Auntie.

 

To be precise, he had never shown his real face.

 

His character in Demroc had been very different from now.

 

Swish.

 

However, Dohyun removed his mask without hesitation.

 

The other side would probably look close to their real face too. There was no reason to hide his face now.

 

As he removed his mask, Ast let out a breath he had been holding.

 

“Phew… Thank goodness. You look exactly as I imagined.”

 

“? Why do I feel a bit weird about that? That’s a compliment, right?”

 

“Hm? Ah, right. It’s a compliment.”

 

“…Doesn’t seem like it.”

 

Dohyun tilted his head, feeling strangely uncomfortable for no reason, but this topic quickly passed.

 

Dohyun, who had taken a sip of tea, also replied casually.

 

“Speaking of which, you’ve changed a bit, auntie. Looks like you finally graduated from that disgusting self-proclaimed veteran fashion.”

 

This was something he had wanted to say since earlier.

 

They say when a person changes overnight, it’s time for them to die, but seeing him walking around so normally made it awkwardly strange.

 

“This is Godseeker. The realism is so intense that regulations are strict. If I walked around like in Demroc, I’d get arrested for public indecency, man. And I’m now a respectable leader of a Top 10 Guild, so I can’t go around like that.”

 

“I guess you didn’t mention you were my companion.”

 

“Would you mention it if you were me? Who knows what kind of articles would come out. I’m pretending to be a complete newbie to avoid unnecessary trouble.”

 

“True…”

 

Thinking about their journey together in Demroc, he naturally understood.

 

The sight of him smiling while swinging a blunt weapon in underwear was, to put it nicely, barbaric, and to put it badly, filthy.

 

Not only that.

 

Since there wasn’t much content, they had done all sorts of strange things.

 

‘If even one of those incidents broke as news, it would be main banner material.’

 

Thinking about it that way, Ast’s judgment was quite appropriate.

 

Perhaps because that topic came up.

 

“What about those guys?”

 

“Those guys? Well, they’re still the same… Hmm?”

 

When he asked about the other two out of curiosity, Ast’s expression, which had been answering indifferently, suddenly became strange.

 

As if he had discovered something interesting, he grinned and asked in a meaningful tone.

 

“Come to think of it, you haven’t met those guys yet, have you?”

 

“…That’s right?”

 

“Hmm~ So that’s how it is. You’ll be shocked when you meet them.”

 

“Why, what’s up with them?”

 

No matter how much he asked while Ast grinned and boasted, he only left the words that he would find out soon enough.

 

‘Don’t tell me those guys are also gym freaks like auntie?’

 

If that were the case, it would certainly be quite a shock.

 

Or maybe among the currently famous people, someone he never imagined might actually be those guys.

 

He became curious, but seeing auntie’s expression made him not want to ask further.

 

When he smiled with that mischievous look, Violet-Flavored Auntie was someone who would never talk no matter what.

 

“Well, I’ll find out when I meet them. It’s an empire now anyway.”

 

“What, you’re giving up easier than I thought? How bland.”

 

“Have I only known you for a day or two, auntie? So what are those guys up to? Did they start guilds like you?”

 

“Are those guys the type to start guilds?”

 

At the casually thrown question, Ast chuckled and shook his head.

 

Dohyun also nodded, agreeing that was true.

 

The Sword Master, a terrible concept player, liked wandering life, calling himself a ronin and whatnot, and Kukkudakkukku was an unpredictable guy who was impossible to control.

 

There was no way any guild could contain those guys.

 

“Actually, I invited them to join my guild several times, but would those guys listen? That Sword Master guy says he has his own path and won’t budge, and Kukkudakkukku said it was bothersome and blocked me for a month.”

 

“Keke, that’s just like them.”

 

“Ugh, how much easier it would be if those guys helped. How about it, will you at least join? I’m a Top 10 Guild, you know? If you join, I’ll give you the highest executive position.”

 

“Have you ever seen me join a guild?”

 

“Sigh, what’s my fate? All my so-called companions are like this. Others are dying to get in…”

 

He grumbled about having no loyalty after the firm rejection, but there was no hurt feeling in it.

 

It was natural since he hadn’t asked seriously in the first place.

 

Even when Violet-Flavored Auntie, who had always wanted to establish a special guild worthy of reaching the top, repeatedly asked them to join his guild, he, the Sword Master, and Kukkudakkukku had all recoiled in horror.

 

‘Did I say having an affiliation felt like losing freedom? The Sword Master said it would interfere with his training.’

 

While he had his reasons due to bad experiences with guilds, they were really peculiar guys.

 

‘Since they didn’t join guilds, they wouldn’t be among the Top 10 Guilds… Maybe they’re among the high rankers.’

 

He was briefly recalling the rankings he had glimpsed recently.

 

Ast, who had been leaning back almost lying down, suddenly straightened his posture.

 

Then he looked intently with a serious expression. This was Violet-Flavored Auntie’s characteristic before bringing up something serious.

 

“What, if you have something to say, say it.”

 

“…Do you really have no intention of joining a guild?”

 

“What, were you being serious?”

 

“No, I was joking earlier, but I changed my mind. This would be beneficial for you.”

 

At that, Dohyun also wiped the smile from his face.

 

If Violet-Flavored Auntie was speaking with such conviction, it really was advice for his own good.

 

“The reason is.”

 

“Berjhe is strong. More precisely, he’s too strong for the current you to handle. If you fight, you’ll definitely lose.”

 

“….”

 

He didn’t bother denying it.

 

Dohyun had roughly guessed as much.

 

Unlike himself who had just set foot on Empire soil, that man had already reached max level long ago.

 

He would have experienced all the numerous growth routes available in the Empire to their fullest.

 

“He’s even completed what comes after max level. Right now, there’s such a gap that you couldn’t win even if you died and came back to life. Honestly, if it weren’t you, I would have forced you to give up without even asking.”

 

“So join the guild and receive protection?”

 

“Right. I know you hate guilds, but you need to think realistically.”

 

Violet-Flavored Auntie removed his arm from the armrest and continued speaking.

 

“I’m blocking him for now, but this has its limits. I can only block indirectly like this once or twice – if I keep doing it, the Top 10 Guilds will start pressuring me.”

 

“…How long can you hold out?”

 

“Well. At most about a week? Any longer would be difficult.”

 

“Hmm….”

 

“But if you join the guild, it’s a different story. No one would dare say anything if I’m protecting my own guild member.”

 

A display that went beyond confidence to show ambition.

 

It could be called the pride of someone who had achieved the position of a Top 10 Guild, but to Dohyun it only made him chuckle.

 

“You’re putting on airs that don’t suit you?”

 

“…I’m trying to say something cool for once, do you have to ruin the mood?”

 

“Forget it, when was it ever easy? This actually balances things out better.”

 

“…Will you really be okay?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

At Dohyun’s firm answer, Violet-Flavored Auntie scratched the back of his head vigorously.

 

He looked frustrated, but Dohyun wasn’t speaking out of thoughtless arrogance either.

 

Though he spoke that way, problems would definitely arise if the guild took him in.

 

Dohyun was aware that the Top 10 Guilds were currently engaged in a war of nerves over him.

 

‘The Top 10 Guilds don’t interfere in fights between lower guilds….’

 

That was an unwritten rule among the Top 10 Guilds.

 

They weren’t simply guilds.

 

They were big shots whose every minor movement could drastically change and shake the market.

 

If they got involved in fights between lower guilds, it would cause ecosystem destruction like no other.

 

Naturally, the guild backed by a Top 10 Guild would win, and eventually more guilds would volunteer to become subordinates of the Top 10 Guilds.

 

In other words, instead of shrimp getting hurt in a whale fight, shrimp fights would turn into whale fights.

 

It was established as an unwritten rule to prevent such corruption, but….

 

‘…That’s just a nice-sounding pretext, they probably just want me to disappear.’

 

This situation was different.

 

Strictly speaking, Dohyun wasn’t a guild.

 

Yet this atmosphere was being created because, as Berjhe said, Dohyun was a poisoned chalice to them.

 

If it became known that Babylon had claimed such a Dohyun, everyone would unite to apply checks and pressure.

 

‘In severe cases, war might even break out.’

 

Maybe later, but right now Dohyun didn’t have the power to overcome that.

 

He didn’t want to show the pathetic sight of hiding behind a companion’s back just because he couldn’t beat one Berjhe.

 

And above all….

 

‘That doesn’t suit my personality. It only has meaning if I destroy them with my own hands.’

 

Dohyun didn’t have a heart broad enough to sleep peacefully after leaving those bastards who had backstabbed him in someone else’s hands.

 

Proper education must be done by one’s own hands.

 

That was Dohyun’s belief.

 

“Sigh…. Fine, if that’s what you say, then that’s how it is. You haven’t failed when you’ve said things like this so far.”

 

Violet-Flavored Auntie finally raised both hands in surrender to that belief bordering on stubbornness.

 

He didn’t forget to add one condition though.

 

“But if the situation looks absolutely hopeless, I’m forcibly accepting you as a guild member. If you’re that confident, you should be able to agree to this much, right?”

 

“….”

 

“And there’s one more thing.”

 

As Dohyun was about to nod and answer, Violet-Flavored Auntie immediately added more.

 

“The period I can stall for is one week. No longer than that. So until then, you need to use every possible method to get stronger.”

 

“I was planning to do that anyway.”

 

“Actually, it would be good if I could lend you equipment…. But then they might pick a fight saying you received my help, so it’s awkward… The standard routes won’t work with your level….”

 

Violet-Flavored Auntie, who had been thinking deeply, soon nodded his head.

 

“I guess there’s only this option after all?”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Hmm…, will this be okay? I really don’t recommend this for you…. Even you can’t handle this.”

 

“Just tell me already.”

 

Even with Dohyun’s urging, Violet-Flavored Auntie spent a long time repeating ‘Hmm, this is a bit….’ and ‘Ah, will this work?’ scratching his insides, and only slowly opened his mouth when he saw Dohyun’s fist clenching with strength.

 

The two syllables that came out.

 

“Ah….”

 

At the word consisting of just two syllables, Dohyun’s pupils shook violently, then he immediately pressed his palm to his forehead.

 

…He definitely wasn’t confident about this one.

 

* * *

 

Clang- Claang-

 

The cheerful sound of metal ringing out.

 

After the clear sound effect of metal clashing against metal echoed, players’ screams followed.

 

“Aaaaah!! It broke!!!”

 

“Waaaah! It worked! It worked! I finally got a blue glow!”

 

A place where screams and cheers were mixed together.

 

Though it was an outer alley more than 20 minutes away from the Central Fountain Square of the Empire, there wasn’t a player who didn’t know this place.

 

That was only natural.

 

[Welcome to the Alley of Strengthening.]

 

[You can offer materials to equipment enhancement NPC to request enhancement, or borrow enhancement equipment from the enhancer for self-enhancement.]

 

‘To think I’d come to a place like this again….’

 

More precisely, it was his first time here in Godseeker, but the familiar scent made Dohyun let out a deep sigh.

 

The method Violet-Flavored Auntie had suggested and the route he had expressed concern about.

 

At the same time, what Dohyun was least confident about.

 

That was none other than enhancement.

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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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