The Return of the Genius Ranker of All Times - Chapter 304

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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 304

Episode 304.

How much time had passed since leaving the imperial palace after that shocking incident in many ways.

When they arrived at a secluded alley corner where few people passed.

-…Are you okay, Charlie?

-Rizariza…

Jihad and Eliza asked while gauging Charlie’s mood.

Normally, Charlie would have crossed his arms sternly and said he was fine, but this time he showed no reaction at all.

He just stood there with a cold expression.

-Ah, you’re not okay… Sorry.

-Ri, Riza…

Eventually, when the guys who had been reading the mood tried to back away intimidated, Charlie shook his head.

-I’m fine, so you don’t need to worry.

-Oh, really? Then that’s a relief… No, I wasn’t really worried though?

-Riza?

Eliza tilted her head as if to say “Is that right?” at Jihad’s attempt to play it off.

Seeing the guys who never just let things slide made him chuckle, but Dohyun was also inwardly concerned about the same thing.

The expression Charlie had shown earlier was something he’d never seen before.

-I apologize for showing such a disgraceful side, Master.

“…”

-I absolutely could not forgive it. The Lord of Arren Castle, of all people, should not be like that.

A descendant of Arren Castle who had experienced that catastrophe.

The Lord of Arren Castle, who should be leading the charge against darkness more than anyone else.

He could never dare join hands with those disgusting bastards.

Because that would be trampling on the sacrifice of not only himself, but everyone who had been with him.

“I understand.”

-…

Even without explanation, Dohyun knew.

How sincere he had been about preventing the catastrophe during the tutorial.

He had seen from the side how angry he got whenever The Abyss was mentioned afterward.

-That’s why I’m always grateful. Thanks to you, Master, we ultimately achieved victory so their sacrifice wasn’t in vain.

“…Yeah.”

Dohyun hesitated for a moment before nodding.

He felt guilty somehow, but couldn’t bring himself to deny it.

‘…I’ll have to keep this secret for life.’

The history you know is actually false.

You only won in your memories, but the actual history is recorded as the greatest catastrophe that spread the terror of The Abyss.

How could he say such words.

-Still, it’s fortunate. It seems they haven’t rotted to that extent.

“Right.”

At Charlie’s words, Dohyun also seized the moment to change the subject.

He had agreed, but actually this made him even more troubled.

[Fifth Fragment of Fate (3)]

-Grade: Main Quest, Job Quest

-Description: Successfully found the key to the Fragment of Fate.

The key to the Fragment of Fate is a material with powerful fate energy dormant within it. Let’s quickly obtain the key before something happens.

-Quest Success: Linked Quest Fifth Fragment of Fate (4) occurs.

-Quest Failure: Destruction of Fifth Fragment of Fate (4) Quest.

-Time Limit: None.

‘What’s with the key to the Fragment of Fate appearing there.’

When Garion first entered the 1st Prince’s room, he was certain he had found the informant.

But what is this supposed to mean.

Everything became ambiguous with the Fragment of Fate getting involved.

‘In addition to the alibi that emblems react to each other, the emblem he possesses is the key to the Fragment of Fate?’

In this situation, isn’t it awkward to pin Garion as the informant.

The red light that came from the emblem even reached both princes, not just Garion.

That’s not all.

‘Suddenly the Emperor’s brother appears, so what is this…’

I can’t get a grasp on how to accept that Bairan’s emblem is the key to the Fragment of Fate.

Unless there’s a twist that Bairan, known to be dead, actually isn’t dead, based on experience so far, Garion who has the key is suspicious but…

‘You never know though.’

At this rate, Emperor Baharun might be the informant as a plot twist.

But then it’s puzzling why he didn’t react to the emblem.

Even if it’s Garion, it’s strange that he has two emblems.

The two princes?

For now, they were 99% innocent with no circumstantial or physical evidence to suggest otherwise.

Dohyun scratched his head vigorously as thinking about it only gave him a headache.

‘Why is this damn Fragment of Fate never in a normal state?’

From Brion’s Destroyer to Sargis’s Outlaw, to Pratel’s Luidera causing chaos, now a dead prince’s emblem is the key?

How are you supposed to obtain a royal family’s relic?

Especially not just any relic, but an emblem that’s the very symbol of royalty!

‘Ah, if they can obtain it, let them try obtaining it once.’

They should lock up the developers and make them clear it while only feeding them steamed dumplings to come to their senses.

A deep rage momentarily surged at the difficulty that seemed like Godseeker’s interference, but Dohyun exercised extreme patience.

‘Whew. Let’s think positively. At least I found the key.’

The Main Quest that had been stalled for a while also started progressing.

There’s some circumstantial evidence, so now I can gradually clear it using the Quest as a foothold.

Dohyun’s eyes sharpened.

‘Actually, this worked out well.’

He was momentarily heated feeling like he’d been backstabbed, but there was no need to think complicatedly.

Being systematically linked with the Main Quest meant.

‘If I clear the Main Quest, I’ll eventually find out.’

It means if I just focus on the Main Quest, I’ll eventually learn who the informant is.

And if it’s related to the Fragment of Fate, there was a reliable ally.

It wasn’t the comrades.

Having them would be reassuring, but they weren’t particularly good at finding things.

-We’re leaving now.

-Where to?

-We can’t leave headquarters empty for long and only dig in the front yard, right? We need to return to the New Continent. That Demroc bastard thought this was his chance and leveled up like crazy by himself.

-I also realized something from watching your swordsmanship, Kaiser. I think I need to focus on training again.

Starting with the Empress and Sword Master,

-I have to go too.

-Hm? Why you, Auntie?

-You brat, I’m also a top 10 guild. I came back making time because you seemed dangerous, but I need to focus on the New Continent or I’ll fall behind. That bastard Cheonma already went back, so I can’t lose.

Even Ast.

Since urgent business was finished, everyone was returning to their original stages of activity.

-What about me?

-If you’re jealous, hurry up and reach max level too. How are you still not max level? Geez.

-Exactly~ You don’t even know what transcendence feels like, right? What’s the point of getting legendary grade? You don’t even have transcendence.

-Puhaha!

-….

More than anything, thinking about how she had toyed with him until the very end, his pride was too hurt to contact her.

The Fanatic was….

‘Hmm.’

Dohyun nodded as he recalled that distinctive clear-eyed madness.

He didn’t have the confidence to handle her.

‘Can’t be helped.’

So this person was all that remained?

Though he wasn’t entirely trustworthy, there was no one more suitable than this man.

Having made his decision, Dohyun began walking.

* * *

“Ho, so that’s what happened. You’ve come to the right place, Successor. This Gamillion will do his utmost to be of assistance.”

At the ambitious old man’s declaration, Dohyun replied with obvious distrust.

“You’re not going to make me run around in circles again, are you?”

“Hehe, running in circles? I merely conveyed Lord Kashiyar’s noble will.”

“Of course you did.”

The person Dohyun had sought out was none other than Gamillion Adran.

The old woman who could be called Dohyun’s only ally as Kashiyar’s successor.

‘Looking at what she does, I really can’t trust her….’

She spouted universal fatalism and showed careless behavior that didn’t inspire much confidence, but she was indeed the most trustworthy person available.

She was the only NPC in the Empire he was certain was on the same side.

She was also the only NPC he could comfortably discuss Main Quest-related matters with.

“So what do you think, Gamillion? Do you have any idea who the culprit might be?”

“Hmm.”

After pondering for a moment, Gamillion parted her wrinkled lips.

“I share similar thoughts with you, Successor. Rather than the dead Prince Byran, Garion and the Emperor are most suspicious.”

“What’s your reasoning?”

“Do you remember when I mentioned feeling an alien aura from the princes that seemed to be fragments of fate?”

Of course he remembered.

That had been the beginning of everything, after all.

“But I was puzzled when there were no actual clues related to the fragments. This incident made it all clear. If the aura from the fragment’s key seeped into the two princes, causing that alien feeling, it wouldn’t be strange at all.”

“Right.”

“But isn’t it odd?”

As Dohyun nodded, Gamillion’s voice lowered.

“Why can’t I sense that alien aura from Garion and the Emperor?”

“…!”

Now that she mentioned it, that was true.

Part of the Emperor’s body was also red, and Garion too had traces of the key’s aura seeping into him, albeit faintly.

If they also had that alien aura, it would have been strange that Gamillion only sensed it from the princes during her investigation.

“It must be one of two things.”

“Either they were recently exposed to the aura, or they’re collaborators.”

“Exactly. As expected, when you hear one thing, you understand ten, Successor.”

Despite the flattering praise, Dohyun’s expression remained serious.

Recently exposed?

In other words, there was a high probability they had urgently begun their schemes for some reason.

‘This Main Quest was supposed to open much later originally.’

This was surely because something had made them feel rushed.

And there were many such possibilities.

‘Complete conquest of the Lion King’s Tower, World Quest, Legion Commander… there’s quite a lot.’

Had all this really happened in just a few months?

Looking at it this way, he’d been causing one legendary-level incident after another in rapid succession—events that would be historic even if they happened once a year.

It wouldn’t be strange at all if they were panicking from urgency.

He would have felt the same if he were the villain.

“That’s why now is our opportunity.”

Gamillion spoke with conviction in a serious tone.

“Haste breeds mistakes. I don’t know what they’re doing, but if they’re pushing themselves this hard right now, they must have left traces.”

-I share that opinion, Master.

-Rizariza.

“If we find those traces, we’ll naturally discover who the collaborator is.”

And discovering the collaborator also meant getting closer to the fragment of fate.

There was no reason to refuse.

‘So that’s what needs to be done.’

Now there was only one thing to worry about.

Finding the traces before the collaborator realized and erased them.

In other words, it was a race against time.

“At times like this, it’s best to divide our roles.”

“Should I meet with the Emperor then? You could handle Garion.”

It was a reasonable suggestion.

While they had managed to investigate before, it wouldn’t be easy to do so again now.

Dohyun could meet the Emperor again the fastest.

But Gamillion shook her head.

“I’ll monitor them. I can hide and watch them secretly—it’s not impossible. Honestly, that’s what I’m most confident in.”

“Ah.”

Come to think of it, Gamillion was someone who used stealth and silence rooms.

Seeing how well she had investigated the princes before, her skills seemed considerable, so it was likely her area of expertise.

“And please take this.”

“What is this…?”

“A communication orb. If they act suspiciously or make any sudden moves, I’ll contact you through this.”

Taking the orb she handed him, Dohyun asked.

“Then what should I do?”

“Do you know where people with guilty consciences think of first when they’re in a hurry?”

“…Hmm.”

When Hyuna had caught him because of the YouTube Gold Button.

Desperate not to let his mother find out, he had looked for a place to hide it.

When he heard the front door opening, he had hastily hidden it somewhere….

“Under the bed?”

“…Close.”

“This?”

That couldn’t be right, could it?

Just as the thought of infiltrating the Emperor’s Bedchamber flashed through his mind.

Gamillion pointed her index finger downward.

In the direction her finger pointed was the floor.

At the same time, Dohyun’s eyes lit up.

“Under the floor?”

“Yes. A secret place that has been widely used throughout the ages.”

Underground.

“From my previous investigation, both of them are presumed to have underground storehouses. High-ranking nobles typically have such spaces.”

“….”

“The problem is we couldn’t determine where the entrances are… Considering how they always disappeared mysteriously, the entry methods seem to be thoroughly hidden….”

Being the secret places of the Emperor and the Knight Commander of Arren Castle, they would be thoroughly concealed.

“…though, it would be meaningless to you, Successor.”

Dohyun grinned.

Just as he said.

Rather than hidden places, openly revealed locations were harder to find for a man like Dohyun.

[Eye of Truth]

‘Eye of God, I trust you.’

After all, he possessed a cheat-like unique trait that could see through everything hidden.

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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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