The Return of the Genius Ranker of All Times - Chapter 227

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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 227

Episode 227.

* * *

Swoooosh-

The moment the King’s sword fell, before extending his blade, Dohyun was horrified.

‘Crazy…!’

He had the illusion of a blizzard raging from atop the Vast Snow-Capped Mountain.

Though he could see it vividly with his own eyes, his feet wouldn’t move. No method of resistance came to mind either.

It felt like facing a natural disaster.

Within the raging blizzard, a white lion with fiercely gleaming eyes was targeting his neck.

At this moment, only one thought came to Dohyun’s mind.

‘You want me to block this? System, are you insane?’

How was this supposed to be the Trial of the Great Lion King that proceeded according to one’s level?

This was no different from telling him to just go ahead and die.

Even if Dohyun had come here at max level, he wasn’t confident he could properly counter this.

However, contrary to such thoughts, his body moved instinctively.

[Using Parry.]

If he couldn’t counter it, he would deflect it.

His sword, extended almost instinctively without going through thought processes, took the motion to deflect as always, but,

[This is a sword strike of an immeasurably high realm.]

[This sword strike cannot be parried. Parry fails.]

‘…What?’

He was merely swept up in the blizzard and crumbled helplessly.

Dohyun’s face, who had never failed a parry in Godose, was colored with bewilderment.

What was so special about a mere downward strike that it even ignored parrying?

Grrrrr-

The white lion falling toward the confused Dohyun bared its fangs and growled.

Finally, the moment the white lion pounced from above.

In that instant, Dohyun’s time slowed down.

Like the world slowing down before experiencing death, his vision unfolded slowly like a slow-motion video.

‘What can I do right now?’

Rising Dragon Kick? His legs would be severed.

Sword Aura slash?

He had no doubt it would be torn apart by that fierce lion’s form.

Ice techniques were already failing to hinder that sword strike in the slightest.

[The Forgotten King’s Trial is in progress.]

[The first effect of God’s Tears cannot be used.]

‘Damn it…!’

In the end, what Dohyun chose was 2 seconds of invincibility, but even that was being blocked by the system.

Well, it was natural behavior since using an invincibility skill in a trial meant to block a sword would be the ultimate cheese strategy.

It was just Dohyun, being in that position, who was going crazy and jumping around.

He tried his best to rack his brain, but

there was no answer. If he tried to escape with backstep, it would mean failing the trial.

‘…Is this how it ends?’

What unfolded before Dohyun’s eyes was the white lion that had somehow approached right in front of him and the blizzard that filled his surrounding vision.

And above it, a single sword was falling.

Since there was no method anyway in this situation, if he just accepted that sword, it would end cleanly.

Clench-

But Dohyun had absolutely no intention of doing so.

‘…No, I can’t stand that sight.’

If there are no teeth, use gums. If gums don’t work, use lips.

It was right to struggle somehow and then end it.

Dohyun, who had pushed aside all the skills that had filled his mind, recalled only the Sword Master’s teachings.

Softness can overcome hardness.

The willow’s dance.

The technique that had landed a hit on the King just moments ago.

A flowing swordsmanship that, like a willow, doesn’t resist fierce wind and rain but entrusts itself to the flow and lets it pass.

This was the only struggle Dohyun could attempt right now.

And that was the correct answer.

[Beginning to clash with the Forgotten King’s sword strike.]

[Endure in the clash.]

[Counter with the challenger’s own swordsmanship to shape the signature swordsmanship.]

[Signature swordsmanship completion is at 20%.]

[Fill 100% in the clash with the Forgotten King to complete the signature swordsmanship.]

Originally, this trial was derived from the signature swordsmanship Quest.

Since being recognized for swordsmanship was the trigger condition, passing the trial was also determined by swordsmanship.

Thus, a single willow tree and a white lion collided.

—!

The willow in the fierce blizzard swayed violently but never fell, and the lion climbed on and pushed to topple such a tree.

The clash that began this way was brief.

At most, it was only a few seconds.

It was time that would pass in the blink of an eye, but for Dohyun, it was like an eternity.

Kwaaaaah-!

No matter how softly he tried to deflect it, the firm sword strike didn’t budge even slightly.

Rather, deflecting the energy that was trying to devour and pounce was becoming increasingly burdensome.

But why was it?

‘…I can see the flow of the sword strike.’

Was this also a system that opened up by approaching it as swordsmanship?

Or was it because of the slowed world due to mental power concentrated to the extreme in an extreme situation?

He could see the true form of the King’s sword that had only felt like a natural disaster.

Somehow, it felt like he could imitate that sword to some degree now.

And…

[Imitating the Forgotten King’s swordsmanship.]

[The challenger’s signature swordsmanship form becomes clearer.]

[Signature swordsmanship completion is at 45%.]

‘This actually works?’

When he swung with the same feeling as much as possible, the signature swordsmanship completion rose steeply.

The moment the percentage rapidly climbed and reached 50%.

[Accepting the Forgotten King’s teachings.]

[Signature swordsmanship completion has exceeded 50%. A faint form is contained in the sword.]

Paaaah-!

Along with the message, a change occurred in the sword.

Though small and humble compared to the King’s sword, it was definitely the same energy.

The form of a beast with cold yet strong energy. And the chill formed around it was unmistakably that of the Forgotten King.

‘Ah.’

This was a teaching.

Not simply to take the sword and die, but to directly feel and accept his sword.

A kind of trial and teaching.

Paang-! Saaaah-

Thanks to that, the Forgotten King’s sword strike, which had only been overwhelming just moments ago, was now being pushed back as energies of the same nature met and clashed.

Thanks to feeling much more comfortable, Dohyun could purely admire it.

‘This is signature swordsmanship… so this is how it works.’

He could understand why people were so enthusiastic about creating signature swordsmanship.

It wasn’t just a skill created by one’s own power, but the exhilaration came from feeling and developing the process in detail.

‘Sword Master, that guy must have gone absolutely crazy.’

A system that would drive the Sword Master, who sought to see the end of the sword, absolutely mad.

Somehow he felt he could understand a little of the Sword Master’s feelings as he devoted himself to swordsmanship.

At the same time, he could clearly imagine what kind of reaction he would have shown.

‘…One’s own swordsmanship.’

It was then that something flashed through Dohyun’s mind as he was lost in thought from the mystical experience.

‘…I can create my own swordsmanship, right?’

If he continued like this, he might be able to obtain that swordsmanship.

Though he wouldn’t reach such a highly perfected level, he could obtain one of those sword techniques.

But he instinctively felt it.

That swordsmanship didn’t really match his disposition. Rather, it was swordsmanship that would suit Violet-Flavored Auntie much better.

At the same time, he had this thought.

What if. Just what if,

‘What would I obtain if I broke through that swordsmanship?’

It was a crazy thought. Breaking through that insane sword strike.

If it weren’t for now when he had breathing room by accepting that swordsmanship, it would have been unimaginable.

But conversely, it was also a challenge possible only because it was now.

If not when he was receiving the Forgotten King’s swordsmanship like now, when would he ever think of breaking through such insane sword strikes?

It was something that had hope only because it was now.

‘It might be a crazy challenge, but…’

What if he succeeded?

Gulp.

…Dohyun, who couldn’t even imagine what he would obtain, swallowed dry saliva and gripped Cheonbyeon tightly.

That alone was reason enough.

Dohyun stopped following the Forgotten King’s sword and stood still.

Then, as if he had escaped from the eye of a typhoon, the somewhat calm energy completely disappeared.

—-!

A cold and mighty energy fiercer than before was swirling like a blizzard.

Before that natural disaster, Dohyun was no longer a willow tree or a young lion.

He was just one man challenging nature.

What greeted such Dohyun was the form of a giant white lion roaring fiercely while looking at him.

The lion seemed to warn him to obediently return to the eye of the typhoon.

‘Let’s give it a try.’

But before that warning.

Dohyun, who instead grinned, boldly leaped in.

The moment tear-like marks formed under Dohyun’s eyes.

As a dragon made of black lightning fell from the ceiling, the two men’s swords clashed,

Kwagagagagaga-!!

The surrounding area was swept away and dust rose up.

This was the full story of the trial that the Guardians couldn’t properly see.

* * *

[The Forgotten King’s sword strike has ended.]

[The trial has ended.]

…

[The Signature Swordsmanship Quest is terminating.]

…

-My goodness…

-Whoa…

The scene revealed as the message appeared and the dust cleared.

The silhouette that made the three Guardians gasp was none other than Dohyun.

Crackle-

Dohyun, wrapped in black lightning, was standing on the charred floor in a battered state.

No, he was in such a precarious state that one might wonder if it could be called standing.

He was barely maintaining his balance by gripping his sword, in a half-collapsing posture.

On the other hand, the King was fine. In the same posture as when he had swung his sword strike.

The only difference was that the sword that had been raised high was now stopped after being completely swung.

-…Don’t tell me Owner lost?

-R, Risa?

A composition where anyone could see the winner and loser.

Unlike the two whose voices trembled in disbelief, Charlie, who had discovered something, widened his eyes.

Though the dust hadn’t completely cleared yet, Charlie’s eyes could clearly see it.

Grin-

Dohyun’s figure, staggering yet subtly raising the corners of his mouth.

On the other hand, the King was looking back and forth between Dohyun and himself as if displeased.

It didn’t take long to understand the reason.

Eventually, when the dust completely cleared, there was a small wound on the King’s cheek.

Ding-

And a message floating above it.

[You have passed the Forgotten King’s trial with an unbelievable score.]

[The completion rate of Signature Swordsmanship reaches 100%.]

[You have cleared the Signature Swordsmanship Quest.]

[The reward is enhanced for completing it with an absurd score.]

[Measuring reward. Please wait a moment.]

“I won. I did.”

At the message proving his victory, Dohyun grinned and collapsed with a thud.

After confirming the trial was over, perhaps because his tension was released, he didn’t even have the strength to stand.

[Life force is below 1%.]

[Barrier has been destroyed.]

‘Damn, I really barely succeeded.’

That was because he really barely succeeded.

His life force had long since dropped below 1%, and even the ring’s barrier had been destroyed.

If he had made even a small mistake or been late…

No, if it hadn’t been for Lightning Dragon Descent, which borrowed the power of the black dragon used to enhance physical abilities, he would have been slaughtered long ago.

If a strike performed with a rotted body was to that extent, just how powerful were the sword strikes when he was alive?

He couldn’t imagine how strong the Sword Emperor, who was said to have reached the supreme realm, would be.

‘It’s chilling to think about again. I really couldn’t do this twice.’

But he succeeded in the end.

Though it wasn’t purely swordsmanship alone, but borrowed the power of skills.

Anyway, he had succeeded in breaking through that monstrous sword strike and finally wounding that guy’s cheek.

Becoming battered and achieving only one graze on the cheek.

[Signature Swordsmanship is being determined.]

[Shaping swordsmanship suitable for you, who do not retreat even before overwhelming disasters and purely overcome adversity.]

[Signature Swordsmanship skill, ‘Heaven-Defying Period ‘ is being created.]

But the achievement that one small result brought about was tremendous.

‘Heaven-Defying Period .’

A skill that only he among 1 billion Players could use.

Unlike other signature sword skills that have some similarities due to overlapping schools to some extent, he now had a skill that only he could use.

‘…This is my own signature skill.’

There wouldn’t be any player who handles the same school as the Forgotten King’s swordsmanship.

Moreover, since it was swordsmanship that Dohyun created to counter such Forgotten King’s sword strikes, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it was unique.

After going through all that suffering for this, how could he not feel proud.

‘What kind of skill could it be? Is it Legend grade? It must be Legend grade, right?’

It was a situation where he couldn’t help but be curious.

Gulping down his saliva, Dohyun opened the skill’s information window with trembling hands.

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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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