The Return of the Genius Ranker of All Times

Chapter 61

The moment Kaiser appeared through the warp had long passed—30 minutes had gone by, yet there wasn’t even a shadow of him.

Still, they waited.

He might not arrive immediately; sometimes, these things took a bit of time.

No one here was impatient enough to give up just because they had to wait a little for someone as significant as Kaiser.

But as one hour passed, then two, then three, they could no longer ignore the reality.

“…Don’t tell me he’s playing us right now?”

“Ugh, feels like he’s deliberately making us wait.”

It became clear that Kaiser was intentionally stalling.

A common tactic used before an interview to mentally exhaust the scouts and assert dominance.

Or, sometimes, to wait for the right timing to get what one wanted—something scouts despised the most.

And yet, it was something they had experienced all too often.

High-profile players always used this method to gain a favorable position right from the start.

“Argh! Forget it. Let’s just camp out here. We’ll rotate shifts and keep watch. What can he do? Not graduate forever?”

“Let’s see who breaks first. Gather everyone whose schedules are free—or make them free—and form at least five-man rotations. Eight-hour shifts.”

“Guildmaster, it seems like he’s stalling on purpose. Yes, understood.”

None of the scouts were willing to give up so easily over something so trivial.

On the contrary, they seemed to be fired up, their competitive spirits ablaze.

‘If I seal this deal, I’ll get promoted right away.’

‘My wife won’t nag me for at least three months.’

‘Hyeyeon’s been asking for a Jeju Island trip. I’ll make it happen with this.’

‘Please… I’ve got overdue loans.’

As they clung to their own motivations, an intense battle of patience ensued, but even then, the top 10 guilds remained seated, immovable.

Only some large guilds, initially hesitant, began cautiously joining the scene.

Among them was one of the few guilds capable of challenging the top 10—the Hero Guild.

Inside the guild’s office.

“…It seems like he’s stalling. Yes.”

Berge, a player who consistently ranked within the top five of guild master popularity polls.

Although his good looks often overshadowed it, he was a hero with power and influence that rivaled most large guilds.

Through spies he had planted in advance, he was privy to all the information.

“Keep an eye on things for now. Contact me immediately if anything changes.”

“Yes, understood.”

Berge ended the communication with a dispassionate expression.

He looked utterly indifferent, as though the situation failed to stir any emotion in him.

However, anyone who knew him would realize this wasn’t the case.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

He lightly tapped his desk with his index finger—a habit he had when he was deep in thought.

After a moment of consideration, he made his first move.

“Did you call for me, Guildmaster?”

“Yes.”

Berge’s warm smile seemed like a scene from a spring-themed photo shoot, but the expressions of the two men standing before him were stiff.

They knew the truth.

Their master’s smile was often a harbinger of danger.

“Bastardsword, OmazingPaladin… Your names are always so unique.”

“…Yes.”

Tap, tap…

The faint tapping sound filled the silent office.

Though soft, to them it seemed to echo directly in their minds.

The paper their guild master was looking at also weighed heavily on their thoughts.

‘Did I make a mistake?’

‘Could it be… that incident? No, there’s no way that got found out.’

‘If it had, he wouldn’t have summoned just the two of us.’

Gulp.

Bastardsword swallowed nervously.

Berge opened his mouth just as Bastardsword was about to lose himself in his thoughts.

“How’s the Raven elimination progressing?”

“…Of course, it’s proceeding well.”

Startled for a moment, both Bastardsword and OmazingPaladin responded immediately.

Berge nodded as he scrutinized them. Then, as his lips parted again, the two men tensed, cold sweat forming on their brows.

“You may leave now.”

“…Pardon?”

It was such an unexpected remark that they froze, unable to process the situation.

Unintentionally, they stared at the guild master as if pleading for clarification.

Berge didn’t bother repeating himself; he merely smiled once more.

Realizing the situation, Bastardsword quickly bowed.

“Ah, yes. We’ll take our leave, Guildmaster.”

“Then…”

“Right this way.”

A secretary guided the two out tactfully, leaving Berge alone in the office once again.

Shortly after, the secretary returned, and Berge greeted him kindly.

“Good work. You had a lot on your plate today, didn’t you?”

“Not at all, it’s my duty.”

“Then, could you handle one more task before calling it a day?”

“What is it…?”

Despite his large build, the secretary asked cautiously.

Berge replied casually, as if it were no big deal.

“Remove those two from the guild. Also, make sure they’re included in the Raven elimination case.”

“…Pardon?”

“Do I need to repeat myself?”

“No, sir. I’ll pass the message along.”

“Thank you for your effort.”

Berge smiled again as the secretary left. His expression turned cold once the room was empty.

“Fools always think they won’t get caught.”

The ones who believed that the visible world was all there was and placed blind faith in that limited perspective.

He casually tossed the report onto his desk and turned his chair to face the window.

The bright sky came into view.

He enjoyed looking at the scenery outside from here because the clouds were so clear.

“Outside and inside, they’re the same,” he muttered indifferently.

A smile crept onto Berge’s lips again.

However, this smile was somehow different from his usual one.

It wasn’t the warm, spring-like smile but rather a faintly bitter and cold one.

Behind him, the paper he had discarded was filled with an evaluation report on one individual.

[Presumed to be Ijero.]

[Class: Swordsmanship-based.]

[Unconfirmed, but presumed to be a Weapon Master.]

[No other information available.]

[Additional Notes:]

[The individual presumed to be Kaiser had conflicts with AssassinBoy’s party. Additionally, guild member Bastardsword was entangled with… AssassinBoy… Predicting guild image damage… (truncated).]

“Kaiser… Not exactly a name I wanted to hear,” he thought while gazing at the clouds beyond the window.

He wondered how the man, who never acted as expected, would move.

Though he couldn’t be certain, he could make an educated guess.

Whatever it was, it would undoubtedly cause a massive ripple, and it might even involve him in some way.

“That’s probably just paranoia,” he reassured himself.

Of course, it was an overblown worry.

He was the leader of the Hero Guild, a force that aimed to rival the top ten guilds.

Meanwhile, Kaiser was nothing more than a relic of past glory.

Even though his first-place ranking in Raven proved his skills were still sharp, there was no reason to be wary.

“Things won’t be so easy for him in Brion.”

Kaiser’s glory would end in Raven.

If he hadn’t outgrown his old habits from DemRock, then his struggles in Brion were inevitable.

“There’s no way you’ll manage there.”

Not just because of Brion’s unique characteristics, but because of one undeniable fact.

Berge himself was the current number one ranker in Brion.

No matter how exceptional Kaiser might be, he couldn’t surpass him in Brion.

The fallen hero would soon be forgotten by the public.

With that thought, Berge erased Kaiser from his mind.

He had too many tasks at hand to waste energy on someone who was still in the lower levels.

[Reckless PK… A hero is needed.]

[Endless distrust and broken faith… Only the Hero Guild can resolve this.]

[Countless cries for salvation directed at the Hero Guild…]

[Hero Guild, proclaiming itself the savior!]

The world was filled with trash, and just as many people needed him.

Berge stood as the cornerstone of the fortress he had built over many years.

* * *

Meanwhile, Do-hyeon, who had suddenly become the center of the world’s attention…

“Li…za…”

“Ugh… Dizzy…”

While Elisa and Jihad were struggling to steady their dizzy minds and grasp the situation, Do-hyeon calmly observed his surroundings.

It wasn’t that users were immune to the nausea caused by spatial transfer.

[You are afflicted with the status ailment ‘Nausea’ for 5 seconds.]

[Hero Trait activates.]

[Immune to mental contamination due to Hero Trait.]

The sole flaw of spatial transfer—nausea.

Although it was classified as mental contamination, the Hero Trait negated it entirely.

It was an unexpected benefit.

With the Hero Trait, Do-hyeon could utilize spatial transfer more effectively than anyone else.

But that wasn’t the important matter at the moment.

“Where am I?”

The cool sensation of marble under his palm caught his attention as he touched the cracked floor.

The damage wasn’t limited to the floor—walls and ceilings all showed significant wear.

The overall atmosphere exuded an air of decay.

This place, which had endured the passage of time, appeared to be a temple.

“This doesn’t seem like the Grand Temple.”

It didn’t resemble Brion’s iconic Grand Temple, which was said to exude divinity just from a glance.

The overwhelming sanctity that inspired reverence and even a sudden surge of faith was unmistakable.

In contrast, this place could generously be called a temple, though in reality, it was more of a ruin.

Its ambiance and decorations barely qualified it as a temple; otherwise, one wouldn’t even recognize it as such.

“…Is this really Brion?”

Although there were other temples in Brion, a dilapidated one like this was improbable.

The doubt was justified, but fortunately, it seemed he was indeed in Brion.

[You have entered the second city of the main continent, ‘City of Promise, Brion.’]

[The City of Promise, Brion, is also known as the Holy City and the Divine Sanctuary. With the help of the priests, connect with your deity.]

[You can receive class quests in Brion.]

[Tip: If you want to lower your Karma value, seek the blessings of a high priest!]

This welcoming message greeted Do-hyeon as he set foot in Brion for the first time.

He had been genuinely worried about being sent somewhere bizarre by that crazy god, so this was a relief.

He exhaled a quiet sigh of relief.

“That commotion… So, today is the day,” a heavy bass voice resonated through the air.

Though it seemed low and quiet, the voice rang out clearly, as if filling the entire space.

It was hard to pinpoint the direction of the sound, but Do-hyeon quickly located its source.

“It’s earlier than the prophesied day, but perhaps this too is destiny,” the voice said.

He didn’t have to search long—the owner of the voice was already approaching him.

In contrast to the deep voice, the figure was a short man.

Standing just over 160 centimeters with a small build and skin wrinkled with age, the figure was an old man wrapped in tattered robes.

Though he appeared frail, the aura he exuded was anything but small.

“Master, be cautious. There’s something unsettling about him,” said Jihad, sensitive to mana.

“Liza-Liza…” Elisa added weakly.

“…Yeah. He does seem that way,” Do-hyeon muttered in agreement.

Even without their warnings, Do-hyeon could feel the tension in the atmosphere, the heavy air prickling against his skin.

“Is he an enemy?”

No. There wasn’t any clear hostility.

Judging from the context, he seemed like an NPC, but the nameplate above his head, which read “???”, put Do-hyeon on edge.

He had never encountered anything like this during his time playing God of Savior.

However, that sense of caution melted away the moment the old man came closer.

With a smooth motion, the man respectfully bowed his head.

“This aura… It’s unmistakable. I’ve been waiting for you, successor of His will.”

“Ah,” Do-hyeon uttered, caught off guard.

“My name is Gamillion Adran. As a member of the Adran family, who have served royalty since the beginning of time, I have awaited this moment,” the old man introduced himself.

His calm gaze revealed unshakeable composure, yet beneath it lay unmistakable emotions—joy, reverence, and elation.

In response, Do-hyeon’s eyes gradually widened.

He saw the notification appear before him.

[You have encountered the Hidden NPC ‘Gamillion Adran.’]

[It will be recorded in the Adventure Book.]

[The class quest ‘One Step Towards Truth’ has begun. Listen to him speak of the erased history of humanity.]

[One Step Towards Truth]

– Rank: ???, Class Quest

– Description: Kashiar, the last human and final adventurer.

As the one inheriting his will, you must learn the ultimate truth. Hear the truth from the Hidden NPC ‘Gamillion Adran.’

– Quest Success: Unlocks the derivative quest ‘Gamillion’s Trial’ and initiates the main storyline.

– Quest Failure: Deletes the class quest and strips the class.

[You cannot decline this quest.]

[Success will unlock the Main Quest category.]

“A Hidden NPC? A Main Quest?”

Even as he read the quest window, Do-hyeon couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

Staring blankly at the screen, he muttered quietly to himself.

“This is insane…”

It was the first discovery of a Main Quest in the history of God of Savior.