The Return of the Genius Ranker of All Times

Chapter 21

BestShield, real name Choi Jeong-hu.

At 23 years old.

Despite being treated like a relic for returning to university after serving in the military, he didn’t mind.

He had his childhood friends AimForTheForehead and YubinKkyung… No, Kim Woo-jin and Yubin.

They had grown up together from elementary through high school, but even after parting ways in university, their friendship remained unchanged.

They kept in regular contact, meeting naturally to hang out.

Coincidentally, they shared similar hobbies, and though they often poked fun at each other, they had never seriously fought.

One of those hobbies was gaming.

Even though VR games were trending, the quality wasn’t high enough yet, so demand for PC games remained strong, and gamers had split into two camps: VR players and PC players.

It seemed that their 12-year friendship hadn’t been for nothing, as Choi Jeong-hu and Kim Woo-jin both belonged to the PC camp.

Yubin, however, didn’t like games, so when they hung out, they did other things. But whenever they were at home, he and Kim Woo-jin would always play PC games together.

“God of Savior is hot these days. Wanna play?”

“No, no. Classic games are still the best. And isn’t that game all about luck? I’d just get stressed out.”

“You’ve got money.”

“God of Savior is on a different scale, you know. And should I just abandon my guild? Hurry up and join me for the raid.”

Though the fame of God of Savior had piqued his curiosity, he had grown too accustomed to PC games and had already accomplished too much to just abandon them.

“And honestly, if we start playing God of Savior, Yubin is going to get super pissed.”

“True, can’t argue with that.”

Yubin was already jealous, saying they left her out.

If they started playing God of Savior, where the minimum session time was five hours and communication could be sporadic, she would definitely feel left out.

If Yubin liked games, it would solve everything…

But after getting verbally abused and mentally wrecked in Legend of League, she had developed an aversion to games.

“Hey, do you guys know anything about God of Savior?”

“God of Savior? Of course.”

“Who doesn’t know about God of Savior these days? You’d have to be living under a rock.”

But then, Yubin brought up the game herself.

Was she becoming interested in God of Savior?

Out of pure curiosity, Choi Jeong-hu asked without thinking.

“Why? Are you going to play it?”

“Huh, her? She hates games. She’s probably just asking. And even if she tries, she’ll probably quit after two hours. You know her gaming skills are awful.”

“……”

“And how many times have we tried to convince her? She always complains that we leave her out, but when we actually invite her, she never joins.”

Kim Woo-jin’s sharp retort made Choi Jeong-hu instinctively step back.

This was a familiar scene—usually followed by fists or kicks flying.

But this time, something was different.

“……”

Yubin didn’t react at all.

Kim Woo-jin, who had been preparing to defend himself, hesitated and then, looking confused, glanced at Yubin.

Startled, Yubin quickly began explaining herself.

“No, it’s not like that… They say God of Savior isn’t just a game, but a whole cultural experience. There’s lots to do and see… And I watched a guild video, and it looked like a movie. It was really cool…”

“What the…?”

“Oh, come on! I just want to try it out a little. Can’t we just play together for a bit?”

And that was how the three of them ended up starting God of Savior.

And after completing the tutorial—

“Wow! Wow! Wow…!”

“This is insane! It’s amazing!”

Yubin and Kim Woo-jin were absolutely losing it.

Yubin, eyes sparkling, kept exclaiming in disbelief, wondering if this was even a game.

Meanwhile, Kim Woo-jin was kicking himself, asking why he had wasted his time on trash games instead of playing this.

And Choi Jeong-hu?

‘…How much do I have in my bank account?’

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He immediately opened his wallet.

Spending 14 million won, he confidently drew a Heroic God.

His friends also managed to draw decent gods and useful traits, so he felt there wasn’t a party around that could match them at this level.

He even thought that.

“Everyone, make sure to thoroughly read the guidebook. It’s important, so read it several times. Especially you, Yubin, since you’re new. If there’s anything you don’t understand, ask right away.”

“Yeah, got it.”

“Here we go again. His habit of being a know-it-all is annoying, but… I’ll let it slide this time.”

They even went through the guidebook multiple times.

For newbies, they were as prepared as they could be.

“Wait, why are all of you ranged characters?”

“? When have you ever seen me play melee?”

“…I just don’t like fighting up close. Plus, I wanted to try magic.”

“Sigh… Hold on, I’ll find someone quickly.”

That’s how it started.

Since there was no death penalty, they just wanted to hunt quickly and figured they could grab any random melee fighter.

But the one they found was a bit unusual.

Kaiser LV1

‘Huh? Kaiser? Sounds familiar… Oh, right. That guy who ranked first in DemRock. Must be a fan.’

At first, he thought it was amusing.

Someone still liked that forgotten guy?

But it made sense.

Choi Jeong-hu didn’t really know much about Kaiser.

He just wasn’t interested.

People who were big in a dying game like DemRock didn’t matter to him, and he never saw the appeal in VR games.

If God of Savior hadn’t appeared and caused such a stir, he probably would have never known Kaiser’s name.

‘Was he really that amazing?’

Whenever he heard people talking about Kaiser, he couldn’t help but wonder.

Number one? Higher ranked than Myeolsal?

Sure, but wasn’t that all in the past?

VR and virtual reality were totally different things, and today’s Myeolsal wasn’t the same as back then.

Knowing that, Kaiser hadn’t even started playing.

Besides, hadn’t the name Kaiser faded from memory pretty quickly?

‘And yet here I am, meeting one of his fans.’

Meeting such a person on the very day he started God of Savior felt strange.

But that was it.

He didn’t think much more about it.

After all, they just needed a melee fighter to join them before they graduated from the novice zone.

It wasn’t like he expected great skill or anything.

In Arde, people teamed up and played the game that way.

‘Wait, how’s he fighting so well?’

But this guy exceeded all expectations.

No, not just exceeded them—his skills were so good, Choi Jeong-hu wondered if they were even playing the same game.

With a combat style that was unbelievable to watch, he completely dominated the goblins, making Choi Jeong-hu question whether this was really a newbie, or someone who had been honing their skills for three years in the game.

That man’s playstyle was enough to shatter Choi Jeong-hu’s self-confidence as a tank, a role for which he had received praise in PC games.

But even then, it was still okay.

He could just accept that the world was a vast place with many skilled people.

But then…

‘Isn’t this a bit too much? I mean, the world may be big, but…’

…Is there anyone else who can interrupt a boss’s pattern with basic attacks?

No, more importantly, who would even think to try that?

At that moment, he instinctively realized.

‘Kaiser was right!’

The man, whom he had thought was just a fan unable to let go of the nostalgia of the old throne, was in fact, the owner of that throne.

It was shocking and thrilling, but at the same time, fascinating.

‘How could the timing be like this?’

The day Kaiser, who had been silent all along, started playing God of Savior happened to be the same day he started the game.

To top it off, the person he had randomly spoken to turned out to be Kaiser, and they ended up having their first party together!

It felt like having dinner with a retired celebrity at a guesthouse he had randomly visited.

And an ordinary person’s reaction to seeing such a celebrity would likely be similar.

‘…S-Sign! I should get his autograph first!’

Whether he was interested in the celebrity or not, how many times would a chance like this come along in life?

Moreover, Choi Jeong-hu had personally watched Do-hyeon’s battles with his own eyes and felt thrilled.

That was more than enough time for a fan spirit that hadn’t existed before to grow.

Just as Choi Jeong-hu was about to carefully speak, driven by his instinctive thoughts, it happened.

[You have reclaimed the top rank in the Time Limit.]

[The party name of the top-ranked player will be registered.]

[BestShield’s party has been registered.]

-1st place: BestShield’s party

“…What?”

The sudden reclaiming of the top rank completely destroyed the timing.

Choi Jeong-hu was no stranger to PC games.

He knew exactly what this meant, and what mistake he had made.

‘I’m screwed.’

That was the only thought in his mind.

He had only been thinking about getting an autograph, but suddenly, this catastrophe struck!

The fact that this was just a game he had lightly started on a whim made it all the more bewildering.

Of course, he had finished the tutorial and entered serious mode, but he had never once thought of taking advantage of someone else.

And who was that man, anyway?

It was the famous Kaiser.

‘Maybe he was aiming for 1st place this time as well…!’

Rankers gathered the best party to claim the rankings and only made their attempts when in perfect condition.

Come to think of it, hadn’t that man taken the fastest routes all along?

‘He did the same during the Goblin Hunt, during the Mixer, and even in Phase 2.’

[Kaiser’s Return!]

[Kaiser! Did he reclaim 1st place as soon as he started God of Savior?]

[Who is Kaiser?]

The opportunity to shake the world once more, to mark the first step in his grand return, had been ruined by none other than himself.

Do-hyeon’s actions had been done without much thought, but coincidentally, they only reinforced Choi Jeong-hu’s concerns.

‘…Should I just quit?’

In a way, they had both only just started, but the famous Kaiser, even if he couldn’t regain his former glory, would soon find himself in one of the top 10 guilds.

With a name like Kaiser, most top 10 guilds would keep an eye on him.

There was a strong chance that he could even rise to a leadership position, given his symbolic presence.

And what if he brought up this incident during an interview?

‘…I’d instantly become a fugitive.’

To some, it might seem like an overblown worry, but to Choi Jeong-hu, it didn’t seem excessive at all.

Would people really make such a fuss over a game?

No, it was because it was a game that they would.

Unlike reality, where laws existed, in games, power was the law.

And if one had power, morals could easily be disregarded.

-‘It’s not like they’re actually killing you for real, so what’s the big deal?’

With that mindset, people would mercilessly hunt down anyone who rubbed them the wrong way.

And in God of Savior, it would be even worse.

‘Kaiser’s fans are known for their intense loyalty.’

And if it had to do with Kaiser, who had a particularly fanatic fan base, including stalkers?

Even though his status had fallen and his fans had gone underground, they would pounce on this opportunity with all they had.

‘How dare you steal our Kaiser’s spot!?’

In their outrage, they could prevent him from taking even a single step out of town.

No, it might not even take the fans.

It was obvious that some malicious users, seizing the opportunity, would use him as a target to vent their frustrations.

‘There was a similar case, too…’

Though it wasn’t due to a Time Limit, everyone who played God of Savior knew what happened to the user who had stolen something a famous ranker had painstakingly worked on in high-level content.

Even Choi Jeong-hu, who was new to the game, could easily find posts about it.

‘They said that user couldn’t withstand the endless assassinations and eventually quit.’

It might seem excessive, but that was the reality of God of Savior.

Though the game’s morality might have crumbled a bit, it had too much impact and generated too much profit to dismiss it as just a game.

“I’m sorry. I’ll compensate you somehow.”

He had to beg.

Beg first, and if he had to compensate, then he would, no matter what.

That was the only thought filling his mind.

It was too frustrating to quit God of Savior without even properly enjoying it when he had just started getting hooked.

And this wasn’t just his problem alone.

The rumors would spread quickly, and it was obvious that the consequences would reach Kim Woo-jin and Yubin as well.

He couldn’t let them quit, especially when even Yubin, who had just started finding the game fun, would be affected.

“I’m truly sorry.”

Just as his strong sense of responsibility had him bowing deeply, with his waist nearly folding over, Kim Woo-jin and Yubin reached out their hands.

They, too, had grasped the situation.

They didn’t plan on letting Choi Jeong-hu shoulder the responsibility alone.

‘Let’s apologize too.’

If they were going to take responsibility, they would do it together. That was the right thing to do.

Just as they were about to bow as well, a voice interrupted.

“It’s okay. You didn’t do it on purpose.”

“…Pardon?”

“It’s no big deal. What’s more important is compensation, right?”

The man who spoke didn’t seem resentful or disappointed, nor did he hold any grudge.

He didn’t appear to be upset or annoyed in the slightest.

“Don’t worry about it. Let’s just leave now.”

Kaiser’s casual demeanor, as he said this, made it seem like it really wasn’t a big deal.

It was like watching a friend nonchalantly suggest leaving after finding 500 won on the street.

It was enough to leave Choi Jeong-hu dumbfounded.

[Honor is not something you chase after, but something that follows you.]

Why did those words, which he had heard at some point, suddenly come to mind?

It was probably because he thought no one suited those words better than this man.

And how many people in the world could evoke such a feeling?

“…..”

For some reason, all the scheming he had been doing felt futile.

And that sense of futility was soon filled by something else.

It was a mixture of awe, inspiration, and relief.

It couldn’t be described with just one word, but one thing was certain.

“……Ah.”

And it wasn’t just Choi Jeong-hu who felt that certainty.

His eyes met with Kim Woo-jin and Yubin.

The expressions of his two friends, with their confident eyes and dazed faces, clearly showed they were thinking the same thing.

Kim Woo-jin was the first to speak.

“To be honest, I used to think the posts praising Kaiser were over the top.”

His normally light-hearted voice was now trembling slightly, sounding stiff.

Normally, Choi Jeong-hu would have teased him for that, but not this time.

They all felt the same way.

“But now I get it.”

“……”

“This is Kaiser… He really lives in a different world than us.”

Choi Jeong-hu thought to himself quietly, filled with awe.

‘…This is what it feels like to admire someone’s back.’

The kind of back that made you want to follow it… This was what it felt like.

It was a strange feeling for someone like him, who had always played the role of a tank, to be gazing at someone else’s back, but it wasn’t a bad feeling.