The Return of the Genius Ranker of All Times - Chapter 6

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

Episode 6

Chapter 6.

[Max Favorability from the Start?]

-Grade: Rare

-Description: A title given to those who maxed out an NPC’s favorability during the tutorial.

-Effect: NPC favorability increases more quickly.

All stats + 2

Titles were one of the hardest rewards to obtain in Demroc.

That was only natural.

Titles were only given when a player’s results or actions were recognized as achievements significant enough to warrant such recognition.

You had to move more intensely than others and produce definitive results.

‘A rare title is quite valuable.’

Among them, a rare grade was a satisfying result.

Common, Rare, Hero, Legend.

The ability differences between grades were significant, and rare grade could be useful anywhere.

Even during his Demroc days, rare grade was the tier Dohyun utilized most frequently.

And this grade system was the same in Godseeker.

The importance of rare grade would be similar here too.

‘Good start.’

In that sense, obtaining a rare grade title from the tutorial was a very pleasant start.

And it was an option that helped with favorability work.

Though it wasn’t an option that helped with combat, it might actually be better in the long run.

‘Fortunately, Godseeker doesn’t make favorability rewards gacha too.’

Surprisingly, they said they’d incorporate feedback, and they did reform things to some degree.

Well, that’s how Godseeker could devour the entire world. If they’d operated like Demroc, there would have been many controversies even if it was the first virtual reality.

Dohyun raised his head after checking the rewards.

‘Hmm.’

He saw Charlie with sparkling eyes and the most benevolent expression in the world.

There was no trace of the frustrated look from their first meeting when he’d practically dragged Dohyun along.

“Thanks to you, we could arrive faster than expected. It’s all thanks to you.”

His voice had also become noticeably softer.

‘I just fought… is it okay for it to be this easy?’

When you think about it, he hadn’t really done anything for him, so should this be called pure…?

Well, this was a wartime situation, so Charlie would naturally be grateful to Dohyun for quickly clearing out the monsters.

Though it was a battlefield, in the now harmonious atmosphere, he pointed ahead.

“Now we just need to go over there.”

What he pointed to was a door beyond the corridor.

Finally, this tutorial was also seeing its end. Going through that door would trigger the final event.

“If we just eliminate the dark sorcerer inside, we can crown this war with victory…”

Charlie was continuing his words while running down the corridor.

“…!”

When about 100 meters remained.

Rumble rumble rumble-.

Suddenly, the corridor they’d passed through began collapsing.

That wasn’t the end of it.

Unpleasant black light was seeping out from beneath the collapsing floor.

Charlie panicked at the sudden turn of events.

“Good Lord…! Has the summoning already begun?”

The summoning was proceeding faster than originally planned.

To make matters worse, grotesquely shaped monsters were climbing up from the collapsed floor. Including the ones they’d seen earlier, plus bat-like creatures.

Someone had to hold them back.

“Damn…! I’ll handle this place, you go ahead! Just go inside there. You must stop the summoner!”

“…?”

“Originally, as the captain, I should go, but… I feel I can trust and leave it to you. No, rather, I’d like to ask this of you. Hero… could you please help us?”

At that, Dohyun momentarily forgot the situation and blankly pointed at himself.

He wondered if he’d heard wrong.

But perhaps misunderstanding his reaction, Charlie began offering a prayer of gratitude.

“May the blessing of Arren Castle be with the hero of war…”

It was a bewildering situation for Dohyun.

‘…I’m going in? Not you?’

That made sense, because this was a type of event that definitively occurred in Godseeker’s tutorial.

‘That thing’ would be summoned and Charlie would go in first to face that monster.

Then after a death cry was heard, he’d die and ‘that thing’ would break through the wall in a dramatic scene.

An event that occurred identically for everyone, to the extent that even Dohyun, playing Godseeker for the first time, knew about it.

But that event had changed.

‘I heard things change a bit depending on what the user does… but do they change this much?’

It was strange.

Charlie barely participating in combat or clapping were minor things that didn’t significantly affect progression, but… wasn’t this an event that had to happen inevitably?

As he approached the door, a message appeared.

[Only one person can enter at a time.]

[Upon death, the sealing formation will collapse and all of the boss’s status ailments will be removed.]

[Do you really want to enter?]

An intimidating message.

He’d never heard of such a message appearing in the tutorial. Those in the know might know, but at least this wasn’t the standard route.

And in Demroc, this kind of thing was called:

Easter egg.

Or…

‘Hidden piece.’

A device deliberately hidden within the game.

And such devices usually boasted high difficulty, with rewards that were correspondingly different from ordinary ones.

If Godseeker was similar to Demroc, this would be the same.

He didn’t know exactly what principle made the hidden piece activate, but Charlie’s recognition and favorability probably played a big part.

‘Lucky.’

That was really the only way to express it.

Who would have known such a secret was hidden here?

Now he felt like he could happily accept any of Charlie’s cringeworthy reactions.

[Do you really want to enter?]

“Yes.”

Dohyun wasn’t one to refuse such a hidden piece.

With his unhesitating answer, he opened the door and brilliant light enveloped Dohyun.

And when he opened his eyes, a different scene was spread before him.

Kraaaah!

“Kyaaah! Why, why is this happening! I’m the master who summoned you! Listen to me! No, don’t! Uwaaaah!”

Something massive stained with darkness was devouring what appeared to be a summoner.

No, it was hard to call that a person.

While the overall silhouette was close to human, the glimpses of exposed body were like those of a monster.

[Summoner of Darkness Contracted with the Abyss]

-Title: One Who Contracted with the Abyss

-Type: Hybrid

-Characteristics: Dark Magic, Summoning, Curses

-Description: A dark sorcerer who made a contract with the Abyss, a world of terror. He is attempting to summon ‘that thing’ to bring down Arren Castle.

The revealed information also indicated that he was not human.

However, Dohyun’s gaze was not looking at him.

The pitch-black darkness that was devouring him. Within that darkness, reptilian pupils glowing red.

[Bound Draconic Abomination of the Iron Blood]

-Title: Legendary Grade Named Boss

-Type: Dragon Race

-Trait: Currently in a sealed state.

-Description: A draconic abomination of the Abyss that bears the name of Iron Blood.

Very little information about them has been revealed to humanity, and they have been passed down as a source of fear. Currently, all abilities are sealed by restraints, and bodily movement is restricted.

“…Legendary grade?”

Dohyun, who had confirmed its information, let out a hollow laugh as if dumbfounded.

* * *

Godose borrowed many things from Demroc.

One of them was the grade system.

A system consisting of Common – Rare – Hero – Legendary.

Everything had grades assigned to it, from the titles Dohyun obtained to items and skills.

And that applied to monsters as well.

Not all monsters were like this. Grades were only assigned to monsters with the ‘Boss’ title.

And among them, the special bosses were the Named Bosses.

‘Unique bosses that possess names.’

They were unique entities that had names symbolizing themselves.

Unlike bosses that respawned when killed, when they died, that was the end.

Irreplaceable, one-of-a-kind bosses.

As such, they were given the setting of having lived for long ages, and therefore boasted higher difficulty even within the same grade.

‘Legendary grade Named…’

Such a creature was carrying a legendary grade title.

Along with a name that appeared black rather than red.

‘So this is why they said it was absolutely impossible to defeat.’

Now it made sense.

This wasn’t a monster created to be defeated in the first place.

A boss monster tasked with the mission of absolutely, certainly killing the user to proceed with predetermined events.

That was the true identity of the tutorial boss.

It wasn’t particularly strange.

Including absolutely unbeatable monsters in tutorials to progress events was familiar to any gamer.

However, there was one puzzling point.

‘In the video, everything except the name appeared as question marks…’

Therefore, while he thought it would be strong, he didn’t know it would be such an outrageously powerful creature.

Perhaps no one knew this creature’s true identity?

‘No, after about a year and six months, there might be those who know. In that amount of time, most hidden pieces would have been revealed.’

Of course, even if there were, none would dare think of defeating it.

Anyway, having come this far, he had to make a choice.

Whether to defeat it.

Or give up cleanly.

As if to help Dohyun’s contemplation, when their eyes met, the creature let out a roar.

The roar from its massive 10-meter frame was chilling just to hear.

And the messages that appeared afterward were even more chilling.

Kraaaaaaah!

[You have heard the roar of the ‘Bound Draconic Abomination of the Iron Blood.’]

[Your physical abilities are reduced by the roar of an overwhelming presence.]

[Movement speed decreased by 20%.]

[Attack speed decreased by 20%.]

[Defense decreased by 30%.]

[Magic resistance decreased by 25%.]

“…No conscience at all.”

The already strong creature was skillfully applying debuffs as well.

It seemed to say not to even think about facing it. But it was also somewhat fair conditions.

Clank- Clunk.

Grrrrr…

The creature’s hands and feet, and even its torso and neck.

The creature couldn’t fall from the wall due to the restraints binding everything on its entire body.

Like a guard dog.

When it tried to go beyond a certain range, it was blocked by the restraints.

Its arms had some freedom and were swinging despite the restraints, but the speed was slow.

-HP : [1,000,000 / ???]

It was even covered in blood from wounds all over its body, and perhaps because of that, it had pitiful vitality for a legendary grade Named Boss.

As stated in the description, all abilities were sealed.

In short, it was a degraded version of a degraded version with all limbs severed and dying.

But even so, that outrageous vitality and those massive arms that would surely send you to your grave with one hit.

Logically, this wasn’t a boss for a level 1 user to defeat.

‘If I die, the seal and status effects are lifted, right?’

Probably in the original tutorial, Charlie died and the seal was lifted, allowing it to regain its complete form.

Then…

‘…Isn’t this doable?’

Perhaps now was the only opportunity?

The only chance to defeat an unbeatable boss.

Such situations often occurred in Demroc as well.

When he discovered them by chance, he always had to stand at a crossroads before insanely high-difficulty hidden pieces.

Each time, Dohyun’s choice was consistent.

“Alright, let’s try it.”

Kaiser – he was not a man to shy away from such challenges.

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