The Return of the Genius Ranker of All Times

Chapter 91

Shrouding Darkness

It was literally a skill that wrapped mana imbued with an attribute around the body or a weapon, one of the rare melee-oriented skills of a mage with the Darkness attribute.

Fire Shroud, Earth Shroud, Wind Shroud, and so on…

It was a fairly famous skill that came in many variations.

‘Among Heroic-grade skills, it’s almost the only melee skill.’

As befitting a Heroic-grade skill, it was a signature skill for mages that boasted exceptional performance among the rare melee skills.

Yet, despite its position, the Shroud skill had not received favorable reviews.

“Great performance, cooldown is decent considering the duration… it’s all good. Everything about it is good, but…”

“…Do I really need to use this?”

The issue lay in the very nature of the mage class.

Mages, renowned for being long-range damage dealers, were known for their overwhelming firepower.

As a result, party members typically protected mages, allowing them to safely unleash damage from the rear, which was the norm.

For such mages, there was no need to consider close combat.

“If I had more skill slots, maybe. But with the limited slots, why bother?”

“Honestly, if a mage is forced into melee range, it’s already game over. It’s better to use skills for escape instead of equipping something like Shroud.”

“Unless it’s for duels.”

Those who enjoyed arenas or PK (Player Killing) might arm themselves with melee skills, but that was limited to PvP (Player vs. Player).

Most mage players enjoyed PvE (Player vs. Environment), so there was no reason to choose Shroud.

Mages truly shone when they remained at a distance.

‘But I’m different.’

However, Do-hyeon was not a mage.

He was the only All-Master in God of Savior, equipped with melee-oriented skills from various classes.

For him, Shroud was a seasoning that would enhance his already formidable close-combat abilities.

A skill akin to the MSG in kimchi stew.

‘There’s probably no one who can use this skill better than me.’

This wasn’t speculation; it was certainty.

Shroud was a mage skill, but when used by mages, it failed to display its full potential.

The phrase “What if another class had gotten this?” frequently came up in skill discussions for a reason.

While it wasn’t the skill Do-hyeon had specifically sought, as an All-Master, he welcomed it with open arms.

‘It’s good, but…’

Even so, Do-hyeon’s expression was slightly ambivalent.

It was a good skill. It seemed to complement his current combat style and could be effectively used alongside his existing skills.

Everything about it was good, but…

‘I was expecting something flashier.’

The issue was that it was far from what he had envisioned.

Since it was his first magic skill, he had hoped for something visually dazzling and beautiful, but this lacked the typical magic flair.

‘How is this any different from a simple buff?’

It felt more like transitioning from being a knight to a dark knight.

Though he couldn’t entirely hide his disappointment, his practical nature quickly moved past it.

There would still be plenty of opportunities to acquire more skills.

Flashy magic?

That could come later.

‘Let’s test it out first.’

Before completing the quest, Do-hyeon decided to experiment with the skill and left the Salt-Rock Forest mountains.

Soon, through the thick fog, a group of orcs came into view.

Screech!

Almost simultaneously with the sighting, the orcs seemed to notice him, letting out their characteristic cries and charging forward.

Seeing them, Do-hyeon gripped Thousand Transformations.

[Thousand Transformations has transformed into Bastard’s Training Sword.]

And then, Thousand Transformations, in the form of Bastard’s Training Sword, transformed once more.

Like black ink spreading, the smooth silver surface darkened, turning into the hue of pitch-black darkness.

As if that wasn’t enough, the emanating and undulating darkness looked endlessly ominous.

[Shrouding Darkness has been applied to Thousand Transformations.]

[Thousand Transformations enters a cooldown of 40 seconds.]

[1 mana point will be consumed per second.]

It was the effect of Shrouding Darkness.

A threatening visual effect befitting a Heroic-grade skill. And it wasn’t just the effect.

[Thousand Transformations is enveloped in darkness, inheriting its properties.]

[Darkness is serene, piercing through the essence.]

‘Hmm…’

After reading the text, Do-hyeon swung Thousand Transformations a few times into the air.

No sound of the blade slicing through the wind could be heard. Although he felt the sensation of cutting through air, only silence persisted.

“It feels strange without any sound.”

It was like playing with the sound muted.

No, it felt even more supernatural than that.

It was difficult to describe precisely, but being the only one muted in a world filled with noise created a significant sense of dissonance.

-Wow, what’s that, Master? That looks so cool!

-Liza-Liza!

Apparently, the impressive appearance had caught the attention of Jihad and Elisa, who were gazing at him with sparkling eyes.

No doubt the ominous effect of the undulating black energy had piqued their curiosity as well.

-Amazing!

-Li-Liza!

Each time he swung the sword or moved, the darkness rippled, and their excitement visibly grew.

The fact that no sound accompanied these movements was the real kicker.

‘Assassins would probably go crazy over this.’

On a dark night, the unique effect would likely go unnoticed.

With stealth added to this level of silence, it might even be difficult to fail a surprise attack.

–!

Screech…?

In the thick fog, for instance.

An orc lowered its gaze to its left chest as a sharp pain suddenly pierced it. Its eyes wavered with confusion.

What is this? I didn’t even hear the sound of being stabbed?

As if to voice such a thought, the orc’s eyes held a faint glow before the light faded entirely.

[You have defeated an Orc.]

[Swordsmanship proficiency has increased.]

[Swordsmanship proficiency has reached LV13.]

Screech!?

The Orc, charging forward, froze at the sudden death of its comrade.

It was instinct.

The unnatural, silent death triggered a sense of unease.

Feeling an inexplicable chill, the Orc scanned its surroundings.

As a monster inheriting the warrior’s bloodline, it had excellent senses.

Yet, despite its near-instinctive reaction, it detected nothing nearby.

Only its fallen comrade lay visible in the thick fog—no sight, no sound of anything else.

In that moment.

Thunk.

Screech…?

Suddenly, its throat and airway were pierced.

Feeling suffocated and coughing up blood, the Orc took its last breath.

It died without even understanding why it had to die.

Swish.

Then, the one responsible for its futile death, Do-hyeon, emerged from the shadows.

Do-hyeon’s sword and entire body were cloaked in black, with a dark aura rippling faintly around him, making him resemble an incarnation of darkness.

[You have used Shroud of Darkness on yourself.]

[The skill Shroud of Darkness is on a 40-second cooldown for the player ‘Kaiser.’]

[Mana will be consumed per second.]

It was the effect of Shroud of Darkness.

When even his clothes were enveloped in darkness, no sound came from his movements, not even the fluttering of his garments.

Originally, he had intended to use it on his shoes as well, but fortunately, that wasn’t necessary.

[The option of the ‘Silent Leather Shoes made in the Special Workshop’ has been activated.]

[Footsteps cannot be heard when walking.]

The shoes he had recently obtained proved their worth.

The fog, which had initially empowered the Orcs’ aggressive charges, had now turned into a dagger aimed at their throats.

“Wow…”

Do-hyeon, who had skillfully wielded that dagger, marveled at his own work.

He couldn’t help but be amazed.

“This is insane. Now this is what assassination looks like.”

Even to himself, it was the epitome of assassination.

He thought, half-jokingly, that it was flawless enough to be included in a textbook.

If there were a manual for assassinations, it should be based on this!

‘I feel like I’m becoming more like an assassin, but who cares?’

All his hero-class skills were tailored to assassination, combined with his weak stealth mode and soundless shoes.

At this point, calling himself an assassin instead of a swordsman wouldn’t be far-fetched.

For a brief moment, he entertained the thought, but he quickly brushed it aside.

Whatever. As long as it was cool and powerful, that was all that mattered.

-“Master, me too! I want to try that too!”

-“Liza-Liza!”

Even those guys couldn’t take their eyes off his stylish display and clamored excitedly.

“How would you guys use this? It’s my skill… Huh?”

Do-hyeon was grinning and shaking his hand dismissively when he suddenly paused, a memory flashing through his mind.

‘Wait a second.’

Around the time people were forgetting about Shroud of Darkness—a skill more suited to melee classes than mages—one mage had demonstrated an extraordinary application.

‘Wasn’t there someone who used it on their Guardian?’

They had used Flame Shroud on a Guardian named Salamander.

How was it possible to use Shroud on a Guardian, which couldn’t be applied to others?

The answer was simple.

-“Guardians are classified as the player’s own, not as others.”

Thus, a Guardian was neither the player themselves nor entirely another entity.

It was a brilliant exploit of the skill system’s loophole.

Thanks to this, the player had created a Salamander that emitted more powerful flames, and this became a brief trend of enhancing Guardians using Shroud.

‘It didn’t last long, though.’

Unfortunately, it never became a mainstream strategy.

While the idea was innovative, the fundamental issue was that Guardians couldn’t demonstrate significant strength in the late game.

Even with enhancements, they couldn’t perform adequately in combat.

As a result, wasting a precious skill slot to slightly boost a Guardian was considered a significant loss.

Eventually, it became a niche tactic, occasionally employed by mages handling mythical beasts.

‘If that’s the case…’

Do-hyeon’s gaze shifted toward Jihad.

That was all from DemRock, but since God of Savior shared the same skill system, it should apply here too.

“Hey, summon some Undead quickly.”

-“Huh? Why?”

“You said you wanted to try this, didn’t you?”

-“Really? Okay, Master. I’ll summon them right away.”

Jihad, who had seemed indifferent, suddenly grew lively.

The eagerness in its actions was palpable, as if worried Do-hyeon might change his mind.

It was clear how much Jihad coveted Shroud of Darkness.

‘Well, it does suit him perfectly.’

Not just in appearance, but for Jihad, who wielded black mana, Shroud of Darkness was practically a tailor-made fit.

That thought brought something peculiar to mind.

‘He’s not even a dark-element creature, so why is his mana black?’

In principle, mana is tied to its attribute.

The color of mana corresponds to its attribute.

Fire mana is red, water mana is blue, holy power is radiant, and dark mana is black… That’s how it was set in the game.

Yet Jihad displayed none of these elemental traits.

His mana was simply black, without any attribute.

‘Could it be related to his lineage?’

That seemed the most likely explanation.

The more time he spent with Jihad, the more curious he became about the creature’s mysterious origins, which unraveled layer by layer like an onion.

[The Guardian ‘Jihad Black’ has summoned Undead.]

[Summoned entities: 2 Red Goblin Undead of the Forest, 1 Blue Goblin Undead of the Forest, and 1 Orc Undead.]

-“Master! I summoned them!”

While he mused on such thoughts, Jihad completed the summoning and looked up at him with eager, shining eyes.

Like an excited child awaiting Christmas gifts, Jihad’s expression was full of anticipation.

Seeing that, Do-hyeon nodded.

“I’m using it now.”

—Okay!

Whether it would work or not remained to be seen.

With slight tension, Do-hyeon activated Shroud of Darkness.