The Return of the Genius Ranker of All Times - Chapter 18

Chapter 18

“Kaiser’s party is incredibly famous. They are known as the strongest party that has conquered every boss and dungeon that seemed unbeatable.”

This was something a reporter had said during an interview before DemRock had fallen into decline.

What was their secret? What kind of strategies did they usually employ? What did they do in their spare time?

From trivial updates to important questions, the reporter asked it all, and Do-hyeon had answered calmly.

“We just hang out like normal. We chat around a campfire, and when we find a new dungeon, we give it a try.”

“The secret? Well… everyone just does their part well, I guess?”

Do-hyeon had tilted his head slightly when the reporter responded, “Isn’t their part something that ordinary people couldn’t do?” But because Kaiser’s image was so firmly established, people seemed to accept it without issue.

In fact, some fans even appreciated how human and relatable their trivial updates were.

As the interview was wrapping up.

“Oh, I can’t let this one go unasked.”

The reporter, locking eyes with Do-hyeon, opened his mouth, seemingly genuinely curious.

“Typically, a party’s basic structure consists of one tank, two damage dealers, and one support, like a healer, right?”

“Yes.”

Do-hyeon nodded.

This was the most basic and textbook composition.

Of course, the composition varied slightly depending on the party’s style.

Some parties removed the support and added more damage dealers, others were composed of only melee or ranged damage dealers, or some reinforced their tanks by adding two supports.

There were all kinds of parties, but one unchanging, immutable rule existed.

“But the peculiar thing about Kaiser’s party is that there’s no tank. I’ve heard it’s composed entirely of damage dealers… Can a raid even work like that?”

That was the presence of a tank.

While there were teams that revolved entirely around one tank, a party without a tank simply didn’t exist.

No, it couldn’t exist.

“Not engaging in a one-on-one duel and still doing a raid just doesn’t make sense… Some fans even joke that it’s a ‘death spear’ meta, saying, ‘Isn’t it a kill-them-before-you-die meta?’”

Without one-on-one duels, a raid couldn’t even take place.

Managing aggro, marking the boss, and breaking patterns.

The tank played the most essential role in these aspects of a raid.

No matter how well a damage dealer dealt damage or avoided attacks, if these tasks weren’t handled, it would all be for nothing.

This was a rule, a common sense, that even the most skilled players couldn’t change.

“That’s why more people have tried to imitate Kaiser’s party, only to end up trolling, causing quite an uproar.”

Just as the reporter chuckled softly, Kaiser’s party was both admired and notorious for being the “father of trolls.”

A factory that churned out trolls in vast numbers.

Yet, they remained the strongest party, effortlessly defeating bosses left and right.

How was that even possible?

“Tanks are… important.”

“Yes.”

Finally, the reason was about to be revealed.

In that historical moment, even the veteran reporter nervously clasped his hands together.

What would be the answer?

Given that Kaiser had pioneered numerous metas, could it be another groundbreaking strategy?

Countless gamers, including the reporter, focused intently on the interview, waiting for Do-hyeon’s answer.

After what felt like an eternity, Do-hyeon finally spoke.

“So, I do it.”

“…Pardon?”

“I’m the tank.”

“…?”

The reporter was dumbfounded.

Kaiser was fully equipped with a skill tree and items dedicated to dealing damage.

Unmatched in one-on-one combat and capable of delivering the most precise damage during raids, Kaiser was hailed as the pinnacle of damage dealers.

But now he was saying he was a tank?

Yet, Do-hyeon was not lying.

“If being a tank means dueling with the boss… then I’m the one doing it.”

If being a tank meant breaking patterns, holding aggro, and enduring the boss’s attacks, then it was entirely Do-hyeon’s responsibility.

He broke every pattern with clean attacks, naturally pulled aggro, and dodged or deflected all of the boss’s attacks.

Thus, Kaiser’s role was that of a tank.

“…”

Faced with such an absurd claim, the reporter could only gape in silence, as if his tongue had been tied.

Though countless rebuttals rose to his throat, he couldn’t bring himself to voice them.

If someone was performing all of those tasks, then what else could they be but a tank?

A tank who simply dealt damage very well.

…exceptionally well.

* * *

“Roaaaar!”

‘…Does this even make sense?’

What that reporter must have felt back then, BestShield was feeling right now.

And this time, it was in real combat.

Squelch!

“Graaargh!”

“Damn… he broke the pattern again.”

“Wow. How does he even do it without a bash?”

“The way he broke the mixer attack was legendary. Even now, just thinking about it gives me chills.”

The principle behind breaking a boss’s pattern was simple.

Every boss had a specific motion they performed before activating a pattern, and if you interrupted that motion, the pattern would be broken.

Even though the pattern wasn’t triggered, it was still considered as having been activated.

This was why tanks always had at least two or three hard crowd-control skills in their skill sets.

Because standing at the front, there was no position better suited for that role than the tank, who was also the sturdiest member of the party.

That was the basic, common sense.

‘…Is that really a damage dealer?’

But right now, that common sense was being shattered.

Do-hyeon was skillfully breaking every pattern, pummeling the boss unilaterally, dodging when aggro shifted, then going right back to dealing damage.

And when a new pattern showed up, he would break it again.

‘I didn’t know you could break patterns like that…’

It was unbelievable, even seeing it with his own eyes.

Why do tanks bother loading their skillsets with hard crowd-control skills?

To forcefully break patterns, the boss had to be put in a state where they couldn’t perform the pattern, something impossible without a crowd-control skill.

But breaking the pattern with a simple stab like that?

Technically, it made sense.

If the pattern involved a greatsword, and you disabled the boss’s ability to use a greatsword, it would work in theory… but seeing it actually executed in combat was utterly absurd.

‘…Is a tank even necessary?’

In God of Savior, the tank was traditionally the most critical role.

With a damage dealer who could tank and deal damage better than most, was there any point in the existence of a tank?

For the first time, he began to question the very essence of the tank role.

‘No, tanks aren’t the problem.’

If there was anything wrong, it was Kaiser, who was pulling off this impossible feat.

Since he’d broken the mixer attack, it was as if Do-hyeon had found his rhythm, engaging in a one-on-one duel like a fish in water.

At first, BestShield had briefly taken over when Do-hyeon broke the mixer, but now, somehow, he had become the secondary tank.

Was this role reversal… or something else?

Squelch!

Thud!

“Damn.”

“Wow… look at him target all the weak spots. Should I give you the nickname AimForTheForehead, bro? You’re piercing that forehead spot on.”

Watching him perform a one-on-one duel better than himself, BestShield couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of unease.

-HP: [6,231 / 20,000]

They had already cut the boss’s health down to 30%.

Ever since the role reversal, the pace of the raid had actually increased.

Being the secondary tank was far more effective than when he had been leading as the main tank, so perhaps it wasn’t a role reversal after all.

‘They said the average clear time was 1 hour and 10 minutes, right?’

It had been about 25 minutes, maybe?

That kind of speed in under 30 minutes seemed unreal.

Though it was astounding, BestShield knew it was time to stop being impressed.

‘Phase 2 is coming soon.’

When the Mutant Goblin Warrior’s health dropped below 20%, Phase 2 would begin.

And that was when things truly started.

Up until now, the boss had only been using its physical enhancement trait, but in Phase 2, it would begin using its other two traits.

Patterns so vicious they would make the mixer attack seem cute in comparison.

This was why newcomers trembled at the mention of the Mutant Goblin Warrior and why it earned the notorious title of Newbie Killer.

-HP: [4,103 / 20,000]

‘It’s almost time.’

Do-hyeon knew this too.

He had studied the strategy guide before starting the game.

And then, at that moment.

[The Mutant Goblin Warrior’s health has fallen below 20%.]

[The Mutant Goblin Warrior activates its traits.]

[The Warrior trait is now active.]

[The Mutant Goblin Warrior’s stats increase, and it enters a berserk state.]

[The Mutant trait is now active.]

[If you deal more than four consecutive physical hits, a debuff will be applied to the entire party. If you deal more than three consecutive magical hits, all damage will be reflected back.]

“It’s finally here.”

“We’re in Phase 2 already? It hasn’t even been 25 minutes yet, the pace of this run is crazy.”

As Phase 2 began, groans could be heard from all around.

The Mutant trait.

Unlike other traits, which were consistent across bosses, the Mutant trait granted each boss a unique ability.

In the case of the Mutant Goblin Warrior, the trait gave it a set of rules.

Nicknamed 007 Bang.

It was an ability that forced the party to alternate between different types of attacks every third strike.

This might sound simple, but in the heat of battle, it was easy to lose track of the count.

And if two party members accidentally attacked at the same time on the third strike, disaster would follow.

For new players, with no specialized class skills, dealing with all the debuffs while trying to defeat a berserk boss was nearly impossible.

‘And if anyone makes a mistake with the third magical attack, it’s an instant wipe.’

To make matters worse, the rule for magical attacks kicked in on the third strike.

Even in a well-coordinated party, someone was bound to make a mistake at least once.

If it was their first attempt at the boss, a full wipe was inevitable.

This was the ruthless pattern that truly demonstrated the value of a party dungeon.

“Now the real fight begins.”

“Let’s attack in turns, as we discussed. It’s fine if it takes longer, so let’s just stay calm.”

“Yep, got it.”

“Alright, I’ll go over the order again. I’m first, then Kaiser-nim, then AimForTheForehead, and lastly, Yubin.”

At BestShield’s words, everyone nodded.

Do-hyeon did as well.

As he said, the second phase wasn’t about speed.

They were ready to take their time and calmly defeat the boss.

That was, until a message popped up in front of Do-hyeon.

[Due to the Warrior trait’s berserk effect, the boss’s physical abilities increase, and players’ attack and movement speeds decrease by 4%.]

[The Hero trait negates mental corruption.]

[You ignore the berserk effect.]

[You are immune to the Mutant trait.]

“…Huh?”

Do-hyeon’s eyes naturally turned toward the Mutant Goblin Warrior.

‘Come to think of it, the Hero trait grants immunity to status effects, doesn’t it?’

He had almost forgotten about it, since the Hero trait hadn’t come into play yet due to the other traits overshadowing it.

But to think it would even negate the boss’s debuffs.

‘This changes everything.’

Four consecutive physical hits meant a party-wide debuff?

That was no longer a problem.

Or more precisely, it was no longer a problem for Do-hyeon.

“Since the boss is in a berserk state, stay calm and don’t rush. Remember, the priority is to avoid attacks rather than getting hits in.”

“Of course.”

“Kaiser-nim, you’re on board with this, right?”

It seemed the others hadn’t received the same message as Do-hyeon.

This meant he was the only one immune to the debuffs.

Seeing their eyes turn toward him, Do-hyeon gave a brief reply.

“Just wait for a moment.”

“…Pardon?”

“This will be faster.”

“What do you— Whoa, wait!”

“Kaiser-hyung!?”

The party members, confused by Do-hyeon’s sudden words, shouted in surprise.

He had charged at the boss without warning.

Alone immune to the debuffs?

‘That’s more than enough.’

Berserk mode or not, he had always been more than capable of handling the boss on his own from the beginning.