The Return of the Genius Ranker of All Times - Chapter 220

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

Chapter 220

 

Episode 220.

 

The Empire has what are called the three great powers.

 

The Imperial Knights, and the Mage Tower and Knight’s Castle.

 

These three organizations support the Empire and maintain the balance of power.

 

Looking at them as individual organizations, the Imperial Household was the strongest, possessing three of the Seven Rivers and having one of them serve as the commander of the Imperial Knights, but….

 

“Just looking at the Mage Tower alone, there are 6 of them, so you can’t ignore them.”

 

“Knight’s Castle has 5 too.”

 

“Considering the 1st Prince’s personality, if the balance wasn’t maintained, it would have been pure dictatorship.”

 

“It’s not like the Mage Tower and Knight’s Castle don’t have any of the Seven Rivers either, so….”

 

This was possible because the numbers of Mage Towers and Knight’s Castles were overwhelmingly large.

 

Of course, they were just maintaining balance, and it was true that the Imperial Household’s power and position were much greater.

 

However, it was meaningful that no matter how arrogant the Emperor was, he couldn’t ignore the positions of the Mage Tower and Knight’s Castle.

 

That was why Players flocked there.

 

“If you catch their eye well, it’s a complete life reversal.”

 

“It’s not for nothing that guilds chase after them with fire in their eyes.”

 

“It’s hard to get recognized, but if you get recognized by them, it’s a free pass to any guild.”

 

“If you’re directly under the Mage Tower or Knight’s Castle, even the Top 10 Guilds can’t mess with you.”

 

From special quests unique to each faction to facilities good for testing abilities, and even solid connections.

 

There was absolutely no reason to refuse.

 

This was especially true considering Godseeker’s characteristics that made it difficult to play without the protection of a faction.

 

The Imperial Household wasn’t a place Players could enter just because they wanted to, so that couldn’t be helped, and for people who didn’t fit with guilds, there were no choices as suitable as the Mage Tower or Knight’s Castle.

 

And among them, the Mage Tower was particularly popular.

 

“If you enter the Mage Tower, you can get skills, right?”

 

“They give you elemental skills guaranteed, so why wouldn’t you go?”

 

“Just stay for two months and leave, and you get a guaranteed elemental Hero-grade skill? Wow, jackpot!”

 

Unlike melee classes that weren’t greatly affected by elements, for Mages, skills that matched their main element were more important than anything.

 

Moreover, the Gacha Tickets given by the Mage Tower were Hero-grade skills!

 

And since they were guaranteed rather than random, it was impossible for them not to be popular.

 

Murmur murmur-

 

Crimson Tower.

 

This place, which was in an eternal rivalry with the Azure Tower, was the same.

 

Whoosh-

 

Bang!

 

“Nice! I’ve filled over half the completion!”

 

“I’m curious what skill they’ll give.”

 

“Since I focused on Fireball, won’t they give something based on that?”

 

Countless fire element magic-type Players had come to do odd jobs and practice magic.

 

Literally, they were ‘refining’ magic.

 

This was due to the Mage Tower’s special system.

 

[Complete your own magic.]

 

[Completion: 51%]

 

This was a system only Players who visited the Mage Tower could obtain, a kind of signature magic acquisition system.

 

Unlike other magic skills that came from gacha, this was literally completing your own magic.

 

Since this was what all Players dreamed of, they couldn’t help but be captivated regardless of performance.

 

“That guy is making fire come out of his feet. What is he planning to use that for?”

 

“Fire… flower firefighting? What’s that? Oh fuck, that guy is shooting fire from his eyes! No!? That guy is trying to drink fire?”

 

“Oh, don’t panic. Those guys are Korean.”

 

“Korean? Anyway, Koreans’ way of thinking is always unique.”

 

“Being creative is good, but sometimes it’s too much. You should choose simple and destructive methods.”

 

Someone was creating fire from their soles.

 

Someone was shooting fire eye beams.

 

And someone else was inhaling that fire.

 

While there were all sorts of bizarre and creative magic like this, some others were also refining orthodox magic.

 

“…Look at those idiots. Wasting a guaranteed Hero grade on mere romance?”

 

“You should aim for the most efficient skill possible!”

 

“That’s why they’re called romance addicts…. Even when given opportunities, they can’t take them, tsk.”

 

“Romance addicts? What do efficiency addicts know? Magic is romance, you bastards!”

 

“Do you guys know what dreams are?”

 

Romance or efficiency.

 

Standing at these two crossroads, they constantly rejected each other while walking their own paths.

 

“Ah, I want to get my skill quickly too.”

 

“Just be patient. You’re already at 81 percent, dude. I’m still only at 30%. Ugh, it’ll take at least a month and a half.”

 

“That’s why I told you to visit the Mage Tower first as soon as you entered the Empire. This is given even without membership, so you definitely should take it for the benefit.”

 

But still, the most common were.

 

Those who wanted to quickly get their skills and leave, whether it was romance or efficiency or whatever.

 

They had only stopped by to get signature skills.

 

They were people who didn’t want to become members of the Mage Tower.

 

“It’s not that I don’t know membership in the Mage Tower is good… but honestly, it’s tough. It’s not even graduate school.”

 

“Maybe if you become a disciple of a Mage Tower Leader. But to kick out of a guild and come here is a bit….”

 

“Ugh, I saw before that they make you do all sorts of odd jobs and even enforce discipline.”

 

“Do I have to be disciplined while playing a game? That’s a bit much.”

 

For these reasons, with Mage Tower affiliated NPCs and Players, and even Players who briefly stopped by the Mage Tower.

 

It was another hectic day at the Mage Tower, befitting a place where so many people gathered.

 

There was a place that had completely opposite concerns from the Mage Tower, which was worried about being overcrowded….

 

“Ugh, why did I choose a melee class and suffer like this?”

 

“That’s what I’m saying…. It’s annoying how Mages get protected safely during Raids and just throw skills, and they get sweet deals at the Mage Tower too.”

 

“A man should, you know? Lead with knightly spirit and such. Anyway, tsk.”

 

Heiden Castle, one of the Empire’s 5 great Knight’s Castles.

 

Like other Knight’s Castles, this place was still only attracting flies today.

 

And in that place where only flies buzzed, there were heavy striking sounds of beating wooden dummies and blood and sweat from those sparring.

 

Bang! Crack!

 

Thud.

 

“Get up quickly! Do you think you can become a knight with just this much!”

 

“How long are you planning to rest? 20 seconds is long enough. Rejoin now.”

 

“Damn it….”

 

“I’m only enduring because I’d regret wasting the 3 months I’ve lasted, really.”

 

Then there was Abeir, the swordsmanship instructor and Vice Captain of the Heiden Knight Order, who shouted at Players who fell during sparring.

 

As a knight who handled advanced aura, he was a knight who boasted tremendous military power.

 

Due to his excellent knightly spirit, the atmosphere here was clearly different from the Mage Tower.

 

“Nothing can be obtained without blood and sweat.”

 

“Do you think everything will be solved if you lie down and wait? Rest is sufficient even when taken after death. Then you won’t be able to get up even if you want to.”

 

“Work hard, strive. And seize what you want!”

 

“Disciples, with such weak spirits, you cannot belong to our Knight’s Castle. We’re not so lacking in talent that we’d hold onto those who don’t want to be here. If you’re dissatisfied, get lost!”

 

Unlike the Mage Tower’s policy that prioritized recruiting talent above all, Knight’s Castle prioritized effort stained with blood and sweat above all.

 

In some ways, it was an old-fashioned tradition.

 

Naturally, it was also difficult to obtain signature skills.

 

“Ugh! Really, why did I come to Knight’s Castle?”

 

“Knight’s Castle? What’s the point of going to a place that doesn’t give signature skills easily?”

 

“Minimum 6 months, and if you’re unlucky, you have to roll for over a year. Who would go? Anyone who goes is crazy.”

 

“Still, thanks to that, the signature skill efficiency is higher than its grade suggests.”

 

“Well… Besides, if you think about it, there’s ‘that method’ too.”

 

“Ah, honestly, I can’t even dare to try that.”

 

Because of this structure, players inevitably stopped coming, and those who did enter the knight’s castle were people who wanted to join the knight order rather than a guild.

 

But even that was too harsh, so the initial fighting spirit they had toward players had already disappeared.

 

‘…3 months. Let’s just endure for exactly 3 months.’

 

‘Let’s hold out until the next promotion exam. Who knows. Maybe I’ll get promoted and escape this hell.’

 

‘Damn eternal trainee, seriously.’

 

Just because it felt wasteful to give up what they’d endured. Or looking forward only to the upcoming promotion exam.

 

They were just waiting for the moment when the last rope would be lowered.

 

Naturally, those with such ambiguous feelings quickly dropped out, so the knight’s castle was always short on players.

 

It was during another day of enduring hellish training like this.

 

“Hey, but what’s Kaiser doing now?”

 

“Right. He’s been quiet since that fight with Hero Guild.”

 

“I heard he’s going around the Empire talking to NPCs? Is he on another quest?”

 

As trainees, their daily routine was hitting wooden training dummies all day long.

 

Hit them in the morning, get beaten by instructors during lunch sparring, then hit wooden dummies again in the evening.

 

Naturally, it was mind-numbingly boring, and for them who had to create conversation out of nothing, there was no better topic than Kaiser.

 

He was someone who had made such a spectacular Empire debut after all.

 

What they were most curious about was Kaiser’s next move.

 

“Right after entering the Empire, he crushed Leon in a power battle, half-destroyed Hero Guild… So what’s next?”

 

“Really crazy moves. If he’s doing this right after entering, maybe next he’ll fight a Top 10 Guild?”

 

“Only Kaiser could pull that off.”

 

“Come on, even Kaiser can’t take on a Top 10 Guild, man.”

 

Since Kaiser had put on such a spectacular show right after entering the Empire, whatever they imagined for his next move wouldn’t be strange.

 

Perhaps that’s why?

 

The speculation covered quite a wide range.

 

“I heard he keeps going in and out of Babylon. Maybe he’s really looking for a chance to enter Babylon?”

 

“One of the Top 100 Guilds has an empty spot. Maybe he’s planning to establish a guild?”

 

“Or maybe he’s going to the Imperial Palace or Mage Tower?”

 

“Why would he go to the Mage Tower? He’s not even a mage.”

 

“Ah, right. Or there’s a theory that he’s clearing main quests, so now that he’s in the Empire, maybe he’s seriously tackling quests?”

 

“That sounds plausible… Oh, hey. Your sword’s about to break. Go change it.”

 

“Ah, okay.”

 

That’s when it happened.

 

While one person went to replace his worn-out sword, a man who had been quietly listening suddenly chimed in.

 

“Or maybe, who knows.”

 

As everyone’s attention focused on him, he spoke with a somewhat serious expression.

 

“Since he’s only done unexpected things, maybe he’ll visit our knight’s castle.”

 

“…Crazy bastard.”

 

“You’re really not normal either. Why would Kaiser come to the knight’s castle? What would he need here?”

 

“Why not? Kaiser has no faction. Even though there’s talk of him being an all-master, he’s basically melee-based, so it’s not impossible.”

 

“Come on, that’s going too far. What’s next? He’ll just drop by here right now and spend all day hitting wooden dummies with us?”

 

Of course, that player’s words were quickly dismissed.

 

Everyone was treating it as a joke and laughing when.

 

“Right, hehe. If that’s actually true, I’ll call you hyung…”

 

“Huh, gasp!”

 

“Crazy…! No way!”

 

“…What the hell?”

 

The commotion from behind drowned out the man’s voice.

 

Since there were so few people, even a little noise felt much louder.

 

The moment he and his companions frowned and turned around.

 

“Gasp…!?”

 

“Whoa, that, that’s him, right?”

 

“…I think it is? No way. Why is this actually real?”

 

Soon they too had no choice but to show the same reaction as the others.

 

No, it was an even more intense reaction than those people.

 

“Ka, Kaiser…?”

 

“Kaiser came to the knight’s castle!”

 

Kaiser, he had really appeared at this very moment in the Haidn Knight Castle where they were.

 

* * *

 

Murmur murmur-

 

‘Ugh, so noisy.’

 

Dohyun sighed at the countless gazes and whispers surrounding him.

 

‘This is why I had no plans to visit the Mage Tower or knight’s castle for a while.’

 

Signature skill?

 

It was quite interesting, so he planned to get it someday, but not right now.

 

It was a skill he could get anytime anyway.

 

For now, he planned to focus on growth, let the attention die down a bit, level up somewhat, then come looking.

 

If that was the case for the Mage Tower, then the knight’s castle needed no explanation.

 

‘This place is known to require at least half a year of dedication.’

 

And even that was the minimum.

 

The minimum was half a year.

 

Would Dohyun be crazy enough to waste that time learning one signature skill?

 

It would be several times more beneficial to clear even a tiny bit more of the main quest.

 

But life doesn’t go according to plan.

 

The Mage Tower and knight’s castle.

 

Because of that main quest, he had to choose one of the two options, and Dohyun chose the knight’s castle.

 

Actually, it was a choice that someone might find surprising.

 

‘The Mage Tower is faster than the knight’s castle.’

 

Apart from simply getting a signature skill, the Mage Tower was faster in every aspect.

 

This was because the Mage Tower Leaders all had great desire for talent.

 

‘But still, it takes several months in the end.’

 

However, it was only faster compared to the knight’s castle; there were basic procedures, so it still took time.

 

Even that time was precious to Dohyun, and that was why Dohyun came here.

 

To use ‘that method’, this place was the only answer.

 

“Hmm, you seem to be quite the celebrity. Let’s pause training for a moment. Ah, keep hitting the dummies.”

 

“…Yes.”

 

Then Abeir, the sword instructor who spotted Dohyun, stopped the training and approached, extending his hand.

 

“Pleased to meet you. What is your name?”

 

“It’s Kaiser.”

 

Shaking hands, Dohyun checked the nameplate floating above his head.

 

[Abeir]

 

A name that was so red it had turned black.

 

And the tremendous power transmitted through his hand.

 

Indeed, befitting a knight serving as vice captain of one of the 5 great knight castles, he possessed tremendous martial prowess. There was a reason why players, no matter how crazy, couldn’t make a peep.

 

‘Tremendous aura, Master. He’s quite skilled.’

 

‘Ugh… I hate this heavy aura.’

 

‘Rizariza.’

 

Even Charlie and Jihad, who had grown considerably by now, were sticking out their tongues.

 

Just then, Abeir, who had withdrawn his hand, asked.

 

“So, Kaiser. What brings you to this place? Do you want to receive training?”

 

“No.”

 

Dohyun shook his head firmly.

 

At his rejection without a moment’s hesitation, Abeir’s eyebrows twitched for an instant, but Dohyun paid no mind and continued with what he had to say.

 

“I want to take the Trial of the Great Lion King.”

 

“…What?”

 

At that, Abeir’s eyebrows, which had stiffened momentarily, narrowed even further.

 

That wasn’t the end of it.

 

“This crazy…!”

 

“Holy shit.”

 

“No way, he’s going to take that?”

 

“…I didn’t just mishear that, right? Is this for real.”

 

Behind him, who was now openly frowning, came the voices of players filled with shock.

 

It was only natural.

 

The Trial of the Great Lion King was a test that no one had passed for a full six months.

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