The Return of the Genius Ranker of All Times - Chapter 307

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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 307

Episode 307.

The mysterious egg.

A hidden piece that could only be obtained when entering the Cursed Dungeon for the 13th time.

Considering that the egg couldn’t be seen even when visiting the cave afterward, it could be said to be the only one of its kind in Godose.

‘A Divine Beast? Or a boss monster?’

Though its identity was unknown, it was certain that something extraordinary was contained within.

Naturally, Dohyun had also searched for ways to hatch the egg.

He had scoured various communities and blogs, hunted desperately, and even tried killing boss monsters.

But the results were dismal.

‘Isn’t it too much that the satiation level doesn’t rise even a little?’

Generally, Divine Beast eggs grow through monster experience points, or hatch after being carried around for a certain period of time.

However, the mysterious egg showed no reaction whatsoever.

That’s why Dohyun thought:

‘It’s definitely an egg that only hatches under special conditions.’

There were occasionally such eggs.

Eggs with hidden hatching conditions that would only hatch when those conditions were met.

Usually these were eggs of rare Divine Beasts or top-tier Divine Beasts, or monster eggs of Named Raid Bosses.

‘Either a jackpot, or a complete dud.’

The former would be a jackpot, and the latter would be a complete waste, but either way it wasn’t bad.

If a Named Raid Boss hatched, he could be the first to raid it and monopolize the raid equipment rewards.

For Dohyun, either outcome would be good.

As much as he hoped it would hatch quickly, he had pushed it to the back of his mind for now.

‘For now, let’s focus on finding the informant.’

Hatching conditions differed for each egg, and currently he couldn’t even guess what those conditions might be, so he decided to focus his efforts selectively.

Squirm.

But now.

The egg that had shown no reaction to anything was reacting for the first time.

[Due to the deaths of numerous gatekeepers, an alien energy floats in the air.]

[The mysterious egg reacts to the alien energy.]

[The mysterious egg absorbs the energy.]

[Satiation level increases.]

[Current satiation level is 5 / 100.]

‘Alien energy? It reacts to energy?’

All Dohyun had done was kill the gatekeepers.

Then it must be connected to this…

‘…There’s definitely something here.’

Whether these things were from the Abyss or not, it was clear they weren’t natural beings.

Dohyun’s eyes sank low.

He was becoming increasingly certain that Garion was the informant.

And Charlie felt the same way.

-…May we increase our pace a bit more, Master.

“Yes.”

Dohyun nodded at the coldly settled voice.

There was no conversation after that.

Charlie and Dohyun focused solely on silently cutting down the gatekeepers, while Jihad and Eliza, sensing something unusual was happening, followed behind while reading the atmosphere.

Graaaah-

Clatter, grooooan!

Crash!

The only sounds heard were the undead rampaging and the gatekeepers falling.

Ding-

[Due to the deaths of numerous gatekeepers, the alien energy becomes denser.]

[The mysterious egg absorbs the energy.]

[Satiation level increases.]

[Current satiation level is 15 / 100.]

And only the sound of the egg’s satiation level rising.

How long had they advanced while listening to screams echoing in such silence?

About 30 minutes later, Charlie spoke for the first time.

-…Something is strange.

Charlie’s face was rigidly hardened.

-The gatekeepers are gradually becoming more organized. Like humans.

“…”

At those words, Dohyun turned his head to observe the gatekeepers fighting the Undead Legion.

‘Definitely.’

They were different from the previous gatekeepers who had charged recklessly.

As if facing a pack of wild beasts.

They maintained distance while forming encirclements and taking turns in combat.

The strange thing was that wasn’t the end of it.

Rustle- scrape-

Tap.

The deeper they went, the more refined their movements became, and now they were varying their individual movements beyond group coordination.

Intelligent movements that couldn’t possibly be considered monstrous.

Disciplined footwork that felt like it had been learned from someone.

-…Swordsmanship?

It was swordsmanship.

They were handling various weapon techniques from swordsmanship to spearmanship to dagger techniques, and it felt like they were all using weapon techniques from the same school.

What this was became clear when a gatekeeper in different attire from before appeared.

Thoom!

[You have encountered Elite Hero-class Named Boss, ‘Ronde’.]

Heavy armor that maintained its nobility despite being rotten and decayed.

A massive greatsword covered in darkness but with ornate decorations faintly visible.

Befitting the title of Elite Boss, the swordsmanship Ronde displayed was clearly different from the previous gatekeepers.

Whoosh-!

Tap, clash!

Restrained movements.

Graceful footwork flowing smoothly.

Then suddenly turning rough as if it had never been graceful, a heavy sword blade charging forward.

Charlie’s wide-open eyes trembled as he watched these movements.

Crack-

He gripped so tightly that blood seeped between his clenched fist.

-How dare…!

The sound of gritted teeth echoed menacingly.

But this time, no one could stop Charlie.

Tap, clash!

The movements Ronde displayed were remarkably similar to Charlie’s.

Unlike Charlie who was graceful like water, sometimes rough and domineering, but the foundation was clearly the same.

It was only natural.

[Ronde]

-Title: Elite Hero-class Named Boss

-Type: ??

-Traits: Imperial Defense Arts, Arren Swordsmanship, Knight Commander.

-Description: The commander who leads the gatekeepers guarding the hidden stage ‘???’ that was hidden in Garion’s Secret Place.

With much experience accumulated, he wields swordsmanship at a different level from ordinary gatekeepers.

Ronde.

He was one of the former Knight Commanders of Arren Castle.

Like brothers fighting, similar footwork continued, and they swung their swords at the same timing.

Clang! Clank!

Every time the Flowing Water Flame Sword and the massive greatsword collided, sharp metallic sounds rang out like screams.

Ronde’s eyes were crying as he roughly pressed forward.

Hiss, hiss.

Though his eyes glowed red with hostility and he breathed roughly as if ready to kill at any moment, he was crying.

Drip.

The black something flowing down his cheek was definitely tears.

‘Black tears…’

Evidence of being consumed by the Abyss, which he had seen with the Destroyer.

Though he was struggling desperately to maintain his humanity, he was no longer human.

Just a hybrid consumed by the Abyss.

“…I’ll do it.”

When Dohyun stepped forward because it was too cruel to leave it to Charlie, Charlie firmly shook his head.

-…Let me. Please let me do it, Master.

A calm voice.

But perhaps it was because his eyes were too sorrowful.

Charlie’s eyes, which he couldn’t describe, just looked sad, and Dohyun couldn’t refuse.

“…Alright.”

-…Thank you.

In the heavily settled atmosphere, Charlie and Ronde’s swords clashed.

Clank! Clang!

Was it an illusion that the metallic sounds spreading as they exchanged blows felt like the only crying sound Ronde could make?

The clear metallic sound from Charlie’s sword seemed to comfort him.

In this situation, there was nothing Dohyun could do.

Clang! Clank!

‘…’

-Risa…

Nothing but watching until the end.

* * *

Clang! Clank!

Had about a hundred exchanges continued?

Thunk-!

For the first time, instead of the metallic sound of sword against sword, the sound of piercing flesh rang out.

It was the sound of piercing through flesh and bone to stab the heart.

Charlie had finally won.

Thud.

Charlie looked at the kneeling Ronde for a moment, then calmly pulled out his sword as a message appeared.

[You have defeated the Elite Hero-class Named Boss ‘Ronde’.]

[It will be recorded in the Adventure Log.]

[Beyond defeating the gatekeeper boss, you have purified ‘Ronde’s’ resentment.]

[Conditions have been met.]

[You can reach the deepest part of the Hidden Stage ‘???’.]

[The unidentified egg absorbs energy.]

[Satiation has increased.]

[Current satiation is 30 / 100.]

-Charlie…

-Rizariza…

Watching Charlie approach with heavy steps, Jihad and Eliza gauged the mood.

They seemed unsure what to say.

“…Good work.”

When Dohyun, who had been hesitating, finally opened his heavy mouth, an immediate response came back.

-…He didn’t use his full strength.

“…”

-At the last moment, though he could have blocked it, he didn’t and closed his eyes.

“…”

-The moment his heart was pierced, he made eye contact with me for the first time.

His mouth was faint, but clearly saying this.

-Thank you, Sir.

“…”

-He drew out his last bit of will and chose to die as a warrior.

Charlie’s calm voice was now trembling with anger.

-I cannot forgive this. How dare they do such inhuman acts that defile a knight’s pride.

And it was none other than a Knight Commander of Arren Castle.

To another Knight Commander of Arren Castle.

No, it wasn’t just the Knight Commander.

From the circumstances, the gatekeepers who had been using martial arts must have been soldiers belonging to Arren Castle or the Empire.

-I need to know. What exactly they’re doing. What they’re trying to accomplish.

Crack.

Charlie finished speaking while grinding his teeth as if to shatter them.

-I’ll find out and tear them to pieces.

Dohyun, who had been listening silently, nodded.

If nothing else, he could give a definite answer to this one thing.

“Yes. I’ll definitely make that happen.”

-…Yes, Master.

Garion.

That he would somehow catch that man and cut off his breath.

[You can reach the deepest part of the Hidden Stage ‘???’.]

To do that, he had to see the end of this place.

Only then could he know what that man was hiding and what he was doing.

“Let’s go.”

-…Yes, Owner.

-Rizariza…

As Dohyun spoke in a low murmur and walked, the Guardians followed behind.

The path continued onward.

After that, gatekeepers appeared from time to time, but no boss-level ones like Ronde appeared.

During this process, they didn’t exchange any conversation.

More precisely, they couldn’t.

[You have defeated a gatekeeper.]

[You have defeated a gatekeeper.]

…

[You have defeated a gatekeeper.]

“…”

Now that they knew those gatekeepers had originally been soldiers of the Empire.

And that some of them had been knights of Arren Castle.

Scritch- Thud-

Crack-

Charlie silently snuffed out their lives as he continued forward.

He expressed no anger, no resentment.

Only what lay at the end of this path.

He simply moved forward, gazing only at that.

Thump, thump.

Step.

After walking for another 20 minutes that felt like an eternity.

“Ah.”

The endlessly continuing path was cut off for the first time.

An empty space.

The moment they stood side by side in this place where nothing could be seen but walls.

[You have reached the deepest part of Hidden Stage, ‘???’.]

A message appeared,

Whoooosh-

Soon the wall seemed to crumble, then scattered like a mirage.

And Dohyun couldn’t help but widen his eyes at the scene that was revealed.

-Wh, what is this!

-…What the.

-R, Risa!?

The Guardians’ reactions were similar to Dohyun’s.

What greeted them was a cavern of such size that the word “magnificent” came to mind, beyond mere hugeness.

No, it was a tomb.

The Ancient Tomb was lined with various graves, and disturbing traces and objects were scattered about.

But there was something that caught their attention so much that all of that became invisible.

“That is…”

A stone coffin standing open in the center.

Above it hung a mummy, dried and withered as if all moisture had been drained from it.

The moment Dohyun unconsciously approached it.

Ding-

“…What?”

A message appeared, and Dohyun’s face stiffened.

[You are within 5M of the original owner.]

[The Old Golden Insignia reacts to its original owner.]

[Conditions have been met.]

[The Old Golden Insignia changes to ‘Bairan’s Golden Insignia’.]

[It is recorded in the Adventure Log.]

The elder brother of Emperor Baharun of the Great Empire, and the Crown Prince who was called the reincarnation of the Lion King.

At the same time, the man who was the Lord of Garion.

[You have entered the tomb and the name of the Hidden Stage is revealed.]

[You have entered Bairan’s Tomb.]

“…Crazy.”

Bairan de Arnis.

He was sleeping here.

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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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