The Return of the Genius Ranker of All Times

Chapter 55

The Spider Queen Elisa’s HP, reduced by roughly 4,000, left her embedded in the wall in a disgraceful state.

Considering Elisa’s solid defense, losing that much HP from a single skill was an unusually high number.

Do-hyeon didn’t stop there and continued to swing Bastard’s Training Sword in succession.

[Bastard’s Training Sword’s option ‘Minor Haste’ activates.]

[Attack speed and movement speed increase by 3%.]

The sword, swung as if dancing, poured down on Elisa.

Even if she wanted to avoid it, there was no space to escape.

No, with the speed of his attacks, it seemed questionable whether evasion was even possible, and Elisa could only endure the onslaught.

[HP: 31,981 / 40,000]

In an instant, her HP dropped by approximately 8,000.

Do-hyeon even used Striking at that moment.

A golden aura gently seeped out and circulated within before a notification message appeared.

[You use Striking on yourself.]

[Physical abilities improve, increasing attack power.]

And the subsequent attacks were nothing short of devastating.

Bang! Boom!

-Elisa… Elisa… sa!

The fierce impact sounds shook the ground, echoing throughout the passageway. Every time her head lifted, it slammed back into the wall, cracking and eventually splitting it.

[You can use Rising Dragon Kick.]

[You use Rising Dragon Kick.]

When the cooldown reset, Rising Dragon Kick struck again!

Jumping up, Do-hyeon slammed down from above, and a significantly larger dragon-shaped energy engulfed Elisa.

[The set option effect increases the range of downward strikes.]

“Oh?”

The range increase for downward strikes from the set option also applied to Rising Dragon Kick.

Thanks to this, Elisa suffered from the enhanced, more elaborate kicks.

Boom!

-El… li… sa…

Her faint cries were buried under the sound of the wall breaking.

Witnessing the pitiful sight, Jihad propped his forehead up with both hands.

“Oh dear…”

It was certainly good news that his master was winning, but the overwhelming dominance left him feeling sympathetic.

[HP: 17,214 / 40,000]

[The Field Boss of the Western Forest, ‘Spider Queen Elisa,’ has dropped below 50% HP.]

The overwhelming assault had already reduced her HP to less than half.

Given that only a few minutes had passed since the trial began, the speed of progress was extraordinary.

It was thanks to Do-hyeon, who had grown much stronger, combined with the buffs of Striking and the formidable skill Rising Dragon Kick.

[Phase 2 begins.]

[The trait ‘Steel Spiderweb’ is activated.]

The Spider Queen Elisa truly began in Phase 2!

Her second phase was notorious for its difficulty.

Her resilient spiderwebs, difficult to cut, possessed the overwhelming power to incapacitate a damage dealer or tank if they failed to avoid her patterns.

Once wrapped tightly in her spiderwebs, one had no choice but to sit idle for five minutes.

Hoo-.

On top of that, the activation speed of her spiderwebs was incredibly fast.

Although it was somewhat easy to counter if one anticipated her simplistic launch patterns, the real problem lay elsewhere.

Elisa would traverse the ceiling and walls using the spiderwebs, disrupting the field with her movements.

As the spiderwebs accumulated, the player’s space would shrink, and Elisa’s domain would expand.

But…

Thud!

Rolling—.

In a narrow passage barely twice Do-hyeon’s height, that tactic became obsolete.

The moment she jumped, she hit the ceiling and rolled onto the floor.

All she could do was spit out simplistic spiderweb attacks…

Swoosh—.

-Elisa!!!

But Do-hyeon wasn’t one to fall for such predictable attacks.

Casually tilting his head to avoid the webs, Do-hyeon swung his training sword, as if to demonstrate how one should attack.

Trapped against the wall with no way to escape, Do-hyeon struck and slashed from various angles.

Elisa tried counterattacks now and then, but none of her blind strikes managed to hit Do-hyeon.

-Eli…

Thwack! Swish—.

-…sa.

Crack! Whack!

-Elisa… sa…

Unable to even produce coherent cries, Elisa was battered relentlessly.

Watching the pitiful sight, Do-hyeon frowned.

“What’s with this constant ‘Elisa’ nonsense? Let’s see if she keeps saying it even as she dies.”

-Master, you’re ruthless.

Jihad said so, but he also felt a vague discomfort.

The constant repetition of “Elisa” and its tone—it felt like she was calling out someone’s name, not merely making random noises.

“Huh? A name?”

What was this?

Jihad felt a strange sensation.

For some reason, the name “Elisa” felt oddly familiar.

“No way… Wait?”

Lost in thought, Jihad’s eyes widened.

[HP: 5,614 / 40,000]

Startled, he turned his head to see the nearly dead Spider Queen Elisa. With an urgent voice, he shouted louder than ever before.

-Master! Stop! Wait a second!

“What? What are you saying?”

-Please stop! Just for a moment! I beg you!

Jihad extended his hands, rushing over as if he were a parent running to their injured child.

Seeing his urgency, Do-hyeon paused mid-thrust and stopped.

-El… li… sa…

Then came Elisa’s weak voice, followed by Jihad’s shout.

-Elisa! It’s me! Don’t you recognize me!?

-…sa?

Elisa was baffled.

She knew who this little figure was.

A strange entity who appeared slightly later than the monstrous human and merely watched from the rear.

Since no danger emanated from him, she had ignored him… but now, why?

Why was he showing such sorrow?

-Argh!

Frustrated by Elisa’s lack of recognition, Jihad flung off his hood.

Jihad’s face was revealed, and upon seeing it, confusion filled Elisa’s eyes.

But that confusion quickly turned into something else.

-…sa!?

Her weakening voice regained strength.

Her red-stained eyes turned green, the same as Jihad’s, and the fierce glow in her gaze softened into a calm expression.

The green eyes glistened with tears, soon overflowing with the emotion of joy.

– Liza!

– Yes, it’s me. Elisa!

Then, Elisa threw her massive body toward Jihad.

Like a large dog jumping into its owner’s arms, Jihad gently embraced Elisa’s head.

Kang Do-hyeon, who had been staring blankly at the incomprehensible sight, muttered.

“…What is this situation?”

The spider he had beaten mercilessly and the goblin he had crushed in the past were now creating a scene as if two estranged siblings were reunited.

…Understanding aside, the feelings were indescribably strange.

* * *

The Spider Queen, Elisa.

The ruler of the western forest in Raven, the queen of all giant spiders, the queen of massive insects…

Though now a feared field boss, she hadn’t always been such an imposing figure.

– Liza!

She was originally just a small spider.

Not one of the giant spiders that roamed the forest, but a tiny, insignificant one.

Unlike other spiders, she had soft white fur and sturdier silk—her only distinctive traits.

It was these traits that led her to meet her master.

– Oh? What’s this spider?

– Liza?

– Is there such a species? It’ll make a good test subject.

At first, she couldn’t understand what was being said.

Nor did she have time to.

A sudden army of undead emerged from behind a tree and grabbed her.

– Liza! Liza!?

– Tsk, noisy. Bring it carefully without harming it. It’ll make an excellent test subject.”

After being captured for a long time, Elisa arrived at a secluded hut.

She spent a long time there.

– First, what do I feed it…? Hey, what do you eat?

– Liza?

– Why do you keep saying ‘Liza’? It’s funny to hear a spider talk. Ah, though I suppose I’m a goblin who speaks, so who am I to judge?

Despite the initial impression, her captor was kind.

Though grumbling, he provided the food she wanted, and if she was uncomfortable, he would fetch something like a cushion while clicking his tongue.

Not that spiders liked cushions.

– Liza! Liza, Liza!

Even so, Elisa liked her clumsy master.

She could feel the care he had for her.

Every morning, he would feed her and leave, only to return in the evening. Elisa eagerly awaited those evenings.

When she greeted him with excitement, he would feign annoyance but secretly smile.

– This little thing is always so welcoming. Seems pretty smart too…

– Liza?

– It’s a waste to turn you into an undead… Do you have any talents?

Understanding the gist of his words, Elisa immediately spun a web.

When the web spread out over 10 meters in an instant, her master’s eyes widened.

Touching the web hesitantly, he recoiled in shock.

– You’re amazing! Can you produce more of this?

– Liza!”

Elisa spun silk until the house was filled, tiring herself out and falling asleep.

From that day forward, her master spent more time with her.

– A web with this durability from such a small body… You must be a new species I don’t know of.

– I’ll raise you until you’re fully grown.

– It’s for research purposes. No particular reason.

– Such a unique species will attract hunters. It’s not worry—it’s just too troublesome.

Though he muttered to himself often, Elisa was simply happy to be with him.

They went on walks together, shared meals, and even slept side by side at times.

She received the name “Elisa” around this time.

– Is ‘Liza’ all you can say?

– Liza? Liza, Liza!

– Liza, huh… Calling you ‘you’ all the time feels off. How about Elisa? Liza sounds too plain.

– Liza?

– Not Liza. Elisa! Say Elisa.

– Liza, Liza!

After some bickering that day, it didn’t matter.

– Fine, do as you like. I’ll call you Elisa.

– Liza!

In the end, they laughed and enjoyed their time together as always.

That day, Elisa received her first gift.

– Take this.

– Liza?

– It’s yours. Nothing special… just wear it when we go for walks.

– Liza!

Her first gift was deeply moving, and from that day forward, the small accessory became her treasure.

She kept it close even when not on walks.

Her master looked on with satisfaction.

– Look at you, so happy.

– Liza, Liza!

It was a series of blissful days.

But that time didn’t last.

– Oh, Elisa. I need to go out alone today.

– Liza? Liza!

– No. I told you before. I found a clue about the secret I’ve been searching for. That place is dangerous for you since you’re not fully grown yet.”

– Liza…

Though dejected, Elisa obeyed her master.

It was the only way to make him smile.

If she waited patiently, he would return to her.

– I’ll be back.

– Liza, Liza!

– Yeah. Keep the house safe, Elisa. I’ve left some undead behind—ask them if you need anything.

After Elisa’s farewell, her master left.

But he didn’t return.

Even as night fell, even as the moon set and the sun rose.

Her master, who always came back by evening, didn’t return.

And that didn’t change, no matter how many days passed.

– Liza…

Still, Elisa waited.

Through cold winters that left branches bare, through the revival of life and the warm breezes that followed.

Through hot summers that brought pests into the hut and saw them leave again.

Elisa waited for her master, and time flowed on endlessly.

One year.

Ten years.

A hundred years…

An eternity seemed to pass.

Crack—

When even the undead, her only companions and remnants of her master, turned to dust and vanished.

– …Liza.

Elisa left the hut.

She went deep into the western forest.

To the place where she had first met her master, where everything began.

– Liza, Li… za… El…

There, she missed her master.

– …Liza. El… Li… za…

She repeated the name to ensure she wouldn’t forget it.

– Elisa.

Eventually, when she could clearly say the name.

Rumors spread of a grotesque beast in Raven that repeatedly uttered the name Elisa.