The Return of the Genius Ranker of All Times

Chapter 42

[Black Goblin Shaman’s Soul Orb]

[Grade: Heroic]

[Description: A versatile orb containing the Soul of the Black Goblin Shaman. It has an exceptionally high mana sensitivity and draws out the essence of power, enhancing the potency of magic or shamanistic spells.]

[Level Requirement: 30]

[Class Restriction: Necromancer, Shaman, Mage-type]

[Magic Attack Power: 190~240]

[Durability: 100 / 100]

[Special Option: Skill size +10%]

[Special Option: Skill duration +10%]

[Black Goblin Shaman’s Robe]

[Grade: Heroic]

[Description: A black robe worn by the Black Goblin Shaman. It is enchanted with a face-recognition interference spell, making it easier to conceal one’s identity and aiding in magic sensitivity.]

[Level Requirement: 30]

[Class Restriction: None]

[Magic Resistance: 40]

[Durability: 50 / 50]

[Special Option: When the hood of the robe is pulled up, face-recognition interference mode is activated.]

[Special Option: Magic-related skill power +6%]

“Krr…!”

The first items he checked were, of course, equipment.

As expected of a Heroic-level hidden dungeon, both items were of Heroic grade.

Moreover, they were tradeable items!

‘As expected of Heroic-grade weapons, their performance is no joke.’

Unlike Do-hyeon’s greatsword, these items had two special options each.

And both options were excellent.

Just looking at the increase in skill size and duration from the Wraith Orb was impressive.

At first glance, a 10% increase might seem small, but in practice, it was far more noticeable.

For instance, even with a spell like Fireball, a bigger size makes it easier to hit.

Most importantly, the aura it exudes—the sheer presence—was on another level.

And yet…

‘It doesn’t say “magic” skills.’

It mentioned skill size and duration but didn’t specifically say it only affected magic or shamanistic skills.

What did that imply?

‘I can extend the duration of bleeding as well.’

If bleeding lasted 10 seconds, a 10% increase would make it 11 seconds.

One second might not sound like much, but for a stacking effect like bleeding, even one second was significant.

Additionally, if he were to receive a buff lasting a minute, he’d gain an extra 6 seconds of effect.

He wasn’t sure exactly how the size increase would apply, but there was no way it wouldn’t be helpful.

And what about the robe?

‘A support item, huh?’

Like many other games, God of Savior had the concept of support equipment.

If main equipment included large items like tops, bottoms, or belts, then support equipment included accessories like cloaks and gloves.

Although he couldn’t understand why belts were considered main equipment, that was how the system worked.

Support items were designed to aid other items, so their performance tended to be underwhelming.

Magic resistance was generally low, and support gear typically lacked stat increases found in main equipment.

Still, why did people insist on equipping support gear?

For aesthetic customization purposes, maybe, but mainly because of the special options.

Rare+ grade items always came with special options, and those options were like a lifeline for players.

In some cases, the value of a support item was higher than main equipment because of its special options.

‘Usually, you wouldn’t get anything useful until level 50 or higher…’

He hadn’t even left the first city on the mainland, and here he was, obtaining something valuable.

And it wasn’t just any support equipment—it was Heroic-grade.

‘The options are a bit niche, but… nothing bad about it.’

The only drawback, if any, was that the gear was meant for mages. However, for Do-hyeon, the AllMaster, it was no problem at all.

Having a face-recognition interference effect was hardly a downside, and he might even gain magic skills later on.

It was a support item that was usually hard to come by, so there was no reason to complain.

‘Weapon Master… What even is this guy?’

For a while, he had forgotten about it, overshadowed by Eye of Truth, but the Weapon Master was proving to be another overpowered skill.

If a trait system like this had existed in DemRock, he probably wouldn’t have struggled as much.

The thought of it made him feel bitter, but he quickly shook his head.

‘I’d be shameless to complain.’

Thanks to that, he was now enjoying benefits he hadn’t before.

It was how he found this hidden dungeon and obtained such rewarding items.

Since the level cap for the equipment was 30, Do-hyeon stored the items in his inventory and moved on to the next one.

And he couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

[Relic of the Forgotten Tribe]

[Grade: ??]

[Description: A relic from the forgotten tribe. Its purpose and use are unknown.]

‘What is this?’

This was the first time he had seen an item with a ‘??’ grade.

Well, to be precise, he had seen something similar back in DemRock.

But this felt different.

‘Unidentified items usually show up like this…’

In DemRock, a ‘??’ grade indicated an item that hadn’t been identified yet.

But this clearly looked like a material item.

Had there ever been a case where a material item was unidentified? Material items should be identifiable even without appraising…

The more he thought about it, the more questions he had, but he had a hunch.

‘It must be related to the Black Tribe.’

The boss of this dungeon, Jihad Black.

It seemed obvious that this was somehow linked to his tribe.

He was curious, but Do-hyeon casually put it in his inventory.

‘I’ll figure it out someday.’

There was no way to know now, so there was no point in obsessing over it.

There was no sense in agonizing over something that couldn’t be resolved.

[Remaining Play Time 00:18:26]

‘Less than 20 minutes left… I should just check the rewards and log out.’

Given the little time remaining, that seemed like the best course of action.

But there was more than enough time to check the remaining rewards.

It was time to check the final reward.

‘It was a card, right?’

The game God of Savior loved its cards.

Skill packs were in card form, magic enhancement scrolls were cards, and even records of defeated boss monsters were stored as cards in the Adventure Book.

‘If it’s a monster card… it’ll probably be for magic enhancement or something.’

Monster cards were typically used for magic enhancement or as magical components.

Depending on how rare the card was, the level of enhancement or rarity of the material would vary.

A card from a legendary boss could fetch hundreds of thousands of won, earning it the nickname “goldmine” among miners.

For players who made their money selling trash items, there was no better catch than this.

‘Since it’s a Heroic-level named boss, I could probably get 200-300 thousand, at least?’

Do-hyeon was excited.

A mere monster card could fetch at least 200 thousand won.

Since he couldn’t perform magic enhancement yet, he figured he might as well sell it for some cash.

He hadn’t sold any items yet, so this would be the first time he made actual money from God of Savior.

‘Alright, steak tonight.’

With that hopeful thought, he checked the reward.

[Jihad Black Card]

[Grade: Heroic]

[Description: A card containing the soul of Jihad Black, the master of the secret dungeon, the Black Goblin Shaman’s Lair. When used, it summons a Guardian. The card disappears after use.]

“Huh?”

Do-hyeon froze.

And with good reason.

“…A Guardian?”

It was something he hadn’t expected at all.

It was the moment when Do-hyeon encountered his first Guardian.

***

Guardians.

In Korean, they were translated as ‘Protectors.’

True to the meaning of the word, Guardians in God of Savior served the role of protecting their users.

Typically, elemental mages would have Salamanders, and alchemists preferred Golems.

Usually, they were chosen to compensate for the frailty of certain classes.

By that logic, every ranged user or support class should’ve had a Guardian, but the reality was quite the opposite.

“A Guardian? It’s not bad, but… it’s somewhat disappointing.”

“That money-draining beast? I’d rather just buy another item instead.”

“It’s hard enough to find a decent Guardian, and even if you do, raising it is a pain… It’d be fine if it listened well. Ugh, raising one just gives you stress.”

The concept of a Guardian was excellent.

But the problem was its practicality.

It was extremely difficult to find a useful Guardian, and they cost a fortune to maintain, making them the epitome of inefficiency.

Despite all the discussions about Guardians, the decisive reason for their unpopularity was this:

“What’s the point of raising something like a Salamander or Golem? What can you even use it for?”

They were simply too weak.

There were only a few officially available Guardians, and they were only useful in the early game. In the later stages, they couldn’t even serve as decent meat shields.

Additionally, with so few available, strategies to counter them were too well-known.

And even if you equipped Guardians with items and trained Guardian-specific skills, would they become strong?

“Well… they do get stronger… but only by a tiny bit.”

“No matter how much money you pour into tuning it, it

’ll never be a luxury car. What, you think it’s going to turn into a Benz?”

It was better than not doing anything, but the limitations of Guardians were clear.

Of course, not all Guardians were like that.

“The Pegasus of Celestial Guild is what a Guardian should be.”

“Krr… And the Empress’s Null is something else. So damn cool.”

Occasionally, there were Guardians that left you breathless just by looking at them.

Unlike regular Guardians, which users chose, these mythical creatures or divine beasts chose their users.

Because they were incredibly rare, getting one was harder than winning the lottery.

“Even Purple’s little dragon and tiger from DemRock were like that.”

Back in DemRock, the creatures that Purple Taste had with him were like that.

As a man who prided himself on his time and financial investment, Purple had poured a ton of effort into acquiring Guardians and had eventually succeeded in securing some truly incredible ones.

Their strength was impressive, but their appearance was even more awe-inspiring, leaving Do-hyeon envious.

“Yeah… they were all so damn cool.”

As is typical with mythical creatures, their style was unmatched.

And that wasn’t all.

Unlike regular Guardians, which could only communicate through basic gestures, mythical creatures shared a deep bond with their masters.

For someone like Do-hyeon, who had terrible luck, mythical creatures were always beyond his reach.

And now, for the first time, one such mythical creature was right in front of Do-hyeon.

[Guardian Window]

[Owned Guardian]

– Jihad Black

Kireuk…? Kirreuk…

“…”

His skin was darker than a black cat’s.

With his robe now removed, the Goblin’s sly face and small body were clearly visible.

Jihad Black, making an annoying sound typical of Goblins, looked around in confusion, his face dumbfounded.

When his eyes met Do-hyeon’s, he jumped back in shock.

-What the—where am I…? Gasp! Why are you here!?

“…”

-You devilish human! I don’t know what trickery you’ve used, but you won’t even let me rest in death! Fine! Back then, I couldn’t use my full power, but now it’s different. I’ll awaken the forbidden power inside me and—uhh? Wh-what’s this? Why can’t I feel anything!?

Watching Jihad Black babble to himself, getting scared, angry, and finally despairing, Do-hyeon genuinely wondered.

‘Is this supposed to be a mythical creature…?’

Could this even be considered one?