The Return of the Genius Ranker of All Times

Chapter 12

A genius attracts attention even before stepping onto the stage.

A needle in a pocket will always poke through, and even if it goes unnoticed at first, soon enough, it will be the center of attention.

Of course, there were rare exceptions to this rule.

“Was it six months ago? That rising star who maxed out favorability appeared, right? And didn’t he draw a Mythical God?”

“The entire community was turned upside down. We got so much flak for not recruiting him in time…”

“Ugh. Well, how many cases like that happen, really? Every time I hear about that guy, my heart sinks. I keep worrying our manager will flip out again.”

Since that incident, the number of scouts increased every day, but finding a newbie with valuable traits was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Especially if those traits were combat-related?

“They told me I better recruit one by the end of this month or face the consequences… Might as well tell me to go die.”

“Exactly. These newbies aren’t clueless anymore. They know their worth. If they have good traits, why would they join a mid-tier guild when they could join a major one?”

“Well, your situation’s the same as mine, buddy. Let’s stop complaining and just keep looking.”

As always, even though they complained, they had no choice but to go out and look for talent.

“That guy’s hopeless.”

“Hm… what about that one? Looks like he’s combat-related.”

“Look at how he swings his sword at the air. I bet my one year of experience he doesn’t have any swordsmanship-related traits.”

“He might have a Heroic God, though?”

“Come on, have you just started scouting? At this point, you can’t tell anything from just a well-chosen class. Traits need to support it to be worth the investment. Maybe if it were a Mythical God or a rare Heroic God…”

“That one looks decent. His eyes have a spark.”

The game had been out for a year and six months.

By now, the more experienced players had reached a level where they could assess a player’s potential at a glance.

It was a skill honed from approaching every newbie and gathering knowledge from countless conversations.

Because of this, scouts had earned a reputation similar to door-to-door evangelists, being asked, “Do you believe in God?” wherever they went, but their judgment had grown sharper because of it.

Their method of evaluation wasn’t complicated.

Much like how pickpockets could instinctively spot a mark, these scouts would gauge a newbie’s potential through their facial expressions, tone of voice, and conversations.

Some even went further, judging by the look in their eyes, which, strangely enough, had a high success rate.

Newbies who had drawn good traits exuded a different kind of aura.

“They can’t help but show it off.”

“If you hit the jackpot, it’s hard not to let it slip.”

“If it were me, I’d be shouting it from the rooftops.”

That’s why scouts always kept an eye on the eyes and expressions of newbies. They generally disliked players with a certain look.

“Hmm… His eyes are dead.”

“He looks like a third-time exam taker holed up in a study room. I’m really curious what kind of traits he got.”

“That guy’s mentally wrecked; no way he’s suited for combat.”

Players with similar atmospheres often shared the same fate.

That was when one scout, observing the newcomers, nudged his colleague and pointed.

“Hey, check that guy out.”

“Hm? Whoa… talk about a walking disaster.”

They were looking at a man.

He had a rather masculine and warm appearance, but his blank gaze drifted off into the air. His lips were moving slightly, as if muttering something to himself while staring at nothing.

These were the types of newbies scouts avoided the most.

Such players often not only had the worst traits, but they also drew the worst gods, making their situation hopeless.

“Looks like he stepped in something nasty… What kind of god did he get? The Lazy Donkey God?”

“There are too many terrible gods to guess… but he must’ve gotten some really awful traits.”

“Wasn’t the worst known trait officially Foot Eater?”

Foot Eater.

A trait where, if the user eats the feet of insects or animals, their movement speed increases—slightly.

Not by much, just a tiny bit.

It sounded utterly useless, but what made it famous was the story of how a player obtained it.

Charlie had told the player to “lick feet,” so, out of spite, they actually licked a foot and unlocked the trait.

Funnily enough, the owner of that bizarre tale was a Korean player.

“Would he really have gotten something like that?”

“There are so many traits, who knows… He might’ve gotten something even worse.”

“Whatever it is, that guy’s done for.”

In reality, people who reacted like that never made it to high-level content.

Nine out of ten quit the game or deleted their characters, waiting 60 days before starting over.

They were, with a 99% accuracy rate, considered bombs waiting to explode.

“Maybe he’s not leveling up and just enjoying the game casually. God of Savior has a lot of things to see and do.”

“True… plenty of people play this game for dating and socializing. Paying that much money for it, though…”

“Let’s just focus on doing our job.”

And so, the scouts didn’t give that man another glance.

There wasn’t enough time to focus on other newbies.

That was why…

“Excuse me. Oh, I’m not weird or anything. I’m Bae Jin-chul from the Peacemaker Guild. I was wondering…”

“…Pardon? Do you like sashimi? Trying to… wait, what did you just say?!”

“Hey, I’m not a scout. Do you want to buy something? I’ve got a special package for newbies at a discounted price.”

In the chaotic central square, surrounded by scouts, merchants, and newbies, Do-hyeon managed to carve out his own space.

Right in front of him, a notification was hovering.

[Necklace of the Blood Covenant]

[Grade: Heroic]

[Description: A necklace bound by the blood of Arlen Castle’s Knight Commander ‘Charlie.’ Only his lord can possess this necklace.]

[Level Requirement: None]

[Equip Requirement: Must be Charlie’s lord.]

[Physical Defense: 61]

[Magic Resistance: 53]

-Strength +4

-Agility +2

-Stamina +1

-Attack Speed +5%

-Movement Speed +5%

[Special Option: Defense and magic resistance increase with experience gained.]

[Special Option: Unlocks at level 35.]

-Non-tradable

‘…No way, is this real? A Heroic-grade item from the start?’

It was the information on the necklace Charlie had given him, which he hadn’t checked because of his class advancement.

Even the options were extraordinary.

‘Ah… I’m really going to pass out from all this sweetness.’

With all these sweet rewards pouring in one after another, Do-hyeon was mentally screaming, while people around him subtly avoided him.

They had no idea.

The man they were avoiding was not only equipped with combat traits they desperately desired but also possessed five additional traits.

Moreover, he was the only player in God of Savior’s history to draw a unique god, and he had a legendary title and a Heroic-grade necklace to top it all off.

Kaiser—the moment he was truly stepping into the world of God of Savior.

* * *

What’s the first thing most newbies do after completing the tutorial?

Admire the otherworldly, realistic landscapes?

Go on a food tour of exotic restaurants and drink special red ale from Abtartel?

Those are all nice, but for seven out of ten combat-related players, there was only one thing they all agreed on.

“An RPG is all about hunting!”

“Quick, find some monsters!”

“Those cocky goblins are dead meat.”

For God of Savior players, hunting was the ultimate thrill.

Enthralled by videos of the top 10 guilds and veterans taking down high-level raid bosses, they were eager to level up quickly and become stronger.

Flashing spells.

Dazzling sword techniques.

Impenetrable shields.

Divine effects…

They didn’t have any of those yet, but when it came to hunting, they felt like top-tier mages or warriors, even if just for a moment.

However, even they followed a few basic rules.

“You gotta accept quests.”

“Quests from the guides are essential.”

“Let’s go to Dante first.”

“The goblins can wait for now.”

Quests.

Like most RPGs, God of Savior had highly efficient quests.

Instead of wasting time hunting randomly, it was faster to grind a few quests in the village.

Considering the quest rewards, doing them was practically a must.

Because of this, God of Savior players eagerly hunted down quests, and now, a year and six months after launch, most quest guides were widely available.

[Beginner’s Essential Quest Guide]

This guide, known as the “Newbie Bible,” was one of the most popular.

-Wow, the organization is flawless.

-The person who made this guide deserves an award.

-For real, nothing to skip here. They even give rare items as rewards; you’d be dumb not to follow it.

By following the route outlined in the guide, players could easily reach level 12, the graduation level for the starting city, fill up their Adventurer’s Journal, and even obtain rare-grade items. It was the ultimate guide.

‘It’s an objectively well-made guide.’

Since the guide still ranked among the top, Do-hyeon planned to follow it as well.

It was one of the perks of being a latecomer.

Though it lacked the thrill of discovering things on your own, you could comfortably follow the path paved by those who came before.

Finding Dante wasn’t difficult.

Though the guide laid out the location clearly, there was no need to check it—he just had to follow the crowd.

‘Following the biggest group is a rule of thumb.’

This was an unchanging law in both the real world and games.

When he reached a small hut, he saw a group of players huddled together, looking displeased as they murmured.

“Dante’s here! Let’s get the quest… wait, what’s with this line?”

“Ugh, I need to start hunting soon, but this line is ridiculous.”

“Man, even in virtual reality, this VR issue isn’t fixed, huh?”

A significant crowd had gathered.

These players were eager to start hunting, and waiting in line made them impatient, but their complaints quickly died down.

“Oh-ho, another large group, huh? No worries! Just go out there and deal with those stupid goblins! Show them no mercy!”

Ding-.

[Quest ‘Goblin Cleanup’ has been triggered.]

[Goblin Cleanup]

-Grade: Common

-Description: A quest from Arde’s top hunter, Dante.

Due to the rapidly increasing number of goblins, Arde’s hunters are overwhelmed.

Since it’s not worth it for a top-tier hunter like Dante to deal with goblins, he’s asking the apostles in Arde to take care of the nuisance.

-Defeat Goblins (0/40)

-Reward upon completion: 80 silver, a set amount of experience.

-Risk of failure: Dante’s favorability may decrease.

-Time limit: 24 hours

[Do you accept this quest?]

‘…Hmm?’

Thanks to Dante’s quick and straightforward group quest, Do-hyeon was able to accept the mission immediately.