The Return of the Genius Ranker of All Times

A flashy exterior, excellent performance, extreme rarity…

There were many factors, but the two most crucial ones were clear.

First, it had intelligence so high that it could be mistaken for an NPC, and second, it possessed settings that made it stand out within the game world—so much so that it was fitting to call it a mythical creature.

“The intelligence to curse at the Forgotten Clan… Hmm, just from that, it seems right, but…”

In that sense, Jihad Black could be called a Divine Beast guardian.

He was intelligent, and within the game world, he was even a survivor of the Forgotten Clan… Nothing was out of place.

– I’m done for… I’ve become a slave to these filthy humans…

However, no matter how intelligent a Divine Beast was, they wouldn’t typically show such a range of emotions.

Logically, it made sense to think of him as a Divine Beast, but emotionally, it was hard to accept.

“A goblin as a Divine Beast…?! And that Divine Beast is the one who whined about it being unfair after getting hit!”

This was the first Divine Beast in his life…

No, the first guardian, and yet it had to be like this!

The majestic appearances of Purple Dragon and Tiger flashed through his mind.

The sight of Purple proudly walking with them on either side like two mighty tigers was unforgettable.

Compared to that, what about him?

Keeruk… Keeruruk…

He had to carry around this small goblin that sniffled and made those typical goblin noises.

It wasn’t so bad when the goblin had its robe on, but once it took it off, it looked pathetically shabby.

A Salamander or a Golem would have looked several times cooler.

That thought made him emotional for a moment, but Kang Do-hyeon soon sighed as he accepted reality.

“What’s important is that I’ve obtained a guardian.”

Even if it wasn’t quite right to call it a Divine Beast… It was still an extraordinary guardian.

For now, calmly checking the situation wouldn’t be too late.

[Would you like to check the information of your guardian, ‘Jihad Black’?]

“Yes.”

[Jihad Black]

[Title: Heroic Named Guardian]

[Type: Goblin]

[Level: LV1]

[Loyalty: 0 / 100]

[Traits: Bloodline Factor, Curses, Necromancer, Quick Fingers]

[Guardian Traits: Strong vs Weak, Opportunist]

[Description: A survivor of a fallen clan.

Jihad is a goblin who has lived for hundreds of years, inheriting a superior bloodline. However, he has now become the guardian of a human.]

[Most abilities are sealed due to the current low level.]

[Usable skill: 1]

– Summon Undead

“…Hmm.”

Jihad Black’s information was similar to what it was before, but there was something different.

The title had changed from Heroic Named Boss to Heroic Named Guardian.

Although it was just one word’s difference, the meaning behind it was significant.

“A Named instead of a Divine Beast or a Spirit…”

Since all Divine Beasts were inherently Named, there was no need to specify it as Named.

As for Spirits, they were not considered Named unless they were Spirit Kings…

“It’s also strange that he was turned into a card.”

Do-hyeon had never heard of anyone obtaining a guardian in this manner.

If you could get a guardian by defeating a boss, countless rankers would have guardians in the form of boss monsters.

“If that were the case, I would have had dozens of guardians.”

Of course, what he knew was limited to DemRock, so maybe there were cases like this in God of Savior. But still, it likely wasn’t a common occurrence.

“The traits are the same… but these guardian traits… Strong vs Weak? Opportunist?”

Guardian Traits simply referred to the defining characteristics of a guardian.

They reflected the core personality or tendencies of the guardian in a single phrase.

These traits helped users understand their guardians better, and also provided a system for increasing loyalty.

Depending on the guardian traits, the criteria for raising loyalty differed.

Users could use that information to think about how to utilize and train their guardians.

“What kind of guardian traits are these?”

In that sense, Jihad Black’s guardian traits were nothing short of shocking.

Do-hyeon had never seen a guardian with traits like Strong vs Weak or Opportunist.

Most guardians had more typical traits like Friend of Water, Bravery, Leader, or even Coward. But having traits this blatantly inferior was unheard of.

And it wasn’t just the description that was unusual.

[Your guardian Jihad Black has very low loyalty.]

[Due to the Strong vs Weak and Opportunist traits, low loyalty may lead him to either flee or betray you. Please be cautious.]

“Unbelievable…”

It wasn’t uncommon for guardians to sever contracts if their loyalty was low.

But for the system to explicitly warn him that the guardian might backstab him?

That was a first.

This creature was truly anything but ordinary.

Keeruk…

Glancing at the goblin, Do-hyeon noticed it had already put some distance between them.

Its eyes glinted with hostility, and it mumbled to itself. It wouldn’t be surprising if it tried to betray him at any moment.

“This won’t do.”

Clearly, drastic measures were required.

It didn’t matter whether he liked it or not; this was now his subordinate, his guardian. He couldn’t just allow it to stab him in the back.

Checking its performance could come afterward.

There was only one kind of training suited for this kind of creature since ancient times.

[Remaining playtime: 00:15:11]

“Fifteen minutes… That should be enough.”

Do-hyeon checked the time, quietly placed his weapon back in its sheath, and tossed it into his inventory.

Crack, crack.

Stretching his body, he started walking slowly toward Jihad.

Jihad Black flinched as Do-hyeon approached him, then rolled his eyes and spat out nervously.

– Wh-what? Why are you coming this way, human?

“Calling your master a human? Your mind’s really twisted, isn’t it?”

– …What?

“I’ll start with one hit per second… no, wait. Considering the stamina issue, that might be tough. But yeah, this should be enough.”

– …?

Jihad Black’s face was filled with confusion as he wondered what was going on.

Do-hyeon, ignoring the goblin’s bewilderment, mumbled to himself and stood right in front of him.

As their eyes met, Do-hyeon smirked slightly.

“For now, let’s start with a beating.”

– ?

“Haah!”

In the next moment, Do-hyeon ducked and planted his fist firmly into Jihad’s abdomen.

Bam!

A satisfying sound echoed through the cave,

– Gwaaaaah!

followed by the pained scream of a goblin… no, a pig, being slaughtered.

[You have attacked your guardian.]

[The master inflicts reduced damage on the guardian and cannot kill it.]

“Yep, that’s what I thought.”

The master could never kill their guardian.

Additionally, the damage was significantly reduced, making it nearly impossible to accidentally kill the guardian.

However, guardians in God of Savior were AIs with feelings.

Though the numerical damage was small and they couldn’t die, unlike players who only experienced a small amount of pain for realism, guardians felt the full extent of the pain.

Thud! Bam!

– Gwek! Gwek! P-please stop…

That was why Jihad Black was now rolling on the ground, sobbing and wailing.

And that was why Do-hyeon could beat him without holding back.

– You wretched human… Of course, you resort to violence first! Fine, I won’t stay idle either… Gwek! Gweeeek!

Bam! Smack!

– I won’t let this slide…!

Crack!

– Huff, huff… You damned… human…

Even though Jihad was still crawling backward, trying to retreat, Do-hyeon could sense that there wasn’t a hint of loyalty in him.

[Current Loyalty: 2 / 100]

After a few hits, loyalty had slightly increased.

“Since ancient times, it’s been said that the stick is the best medicine for creatures like this.”

Feeling the wisdom of the ancestors once again, Do-hyeon approached slowly.

Today’s goal was to raise loyalty to at least 20.

****

How much time had passed?

Crack! Smack!

The sound of blows echoing in the cave had surpassed hundreds of times, and Jihad’s screams had filled the cave even more.

– P-please stop…! Please, I beg you!

“Stop?”

– N-no… Please, stop it, Master! I was wrong!

Finally, Jihad Black began to speak respectfully.

It had taken exactly 97 strikes to various vital points to bring about this change.

Considering that Do-hyeon had deliberately targeted only the most sensitive areas, it was impressive how resilient the goblin was.

However…

Crack!

– Gah! Why… why…

“I just don’t like the look in your eyes.”

– What kind of nonsensical… Gwek!

Do-hyeon didn’t stop his fists.

It wasn’t that he was a cruel person releasing his frustration.

[Current Loyalty: 10 / 100]

[Loyalty is low. If given the chance, the guardian will attempt to flee.]

“Even after all that, it’s still only at 10.”

Though the goblin was now calling him Master, it was clear that it was still looking for an opportunity to escape.

It was likely that after lulling him into a false sense of security, it would try to figure out how to flee during his next logout.

He had to admit, it was an impressive little thing, but Do-hyeon prided himself on being just as tenacious in these matters.

“If 100 strikes don’t work, then 300 will. If that still doesn’t work, then even more.”

If someone didn’t change after a beating, it just meant they hadn’t been beaten enough.

Back in DemRock, whenever there were guys trying to double-cross him, he’d sometimes need to use them as an example.

Those who didn’t get it the first time would never even make eye contact again after he thoroughly punished them.

That was the nature of Strong vs Weak.

– Maybe this could work out…

To keep that thought from ever crossing the goblin’s mind, he had to beat it so thoroughly that it would be dazed.

Crack! Smack!

– Wh-what is the problem, Mas… Ugh!

– I was wrong… I was… Gag!

– You’re a demon…! Ack! Gwek! Keeek!

No matter what Jihad tried to say, Do-hyeon ignored him completely, raining down punches without stopping.

There was no need to listen to a word of it.

[Loyalty: 11 / 100]

[Loyalty: 10 / 100]

[Loyalty: 13 / 100]

The fluctuating loyalty served as the most objective indicator.

And so, without saying a word, Do-hyeon continued to beat the goblin for who knows how long.

– No, no… I’ve lost my mind… I really had bad intentions. I swear I won’t ever do that again. I was wrong… I’m sorry…

For the first time, Jihad Black showed true sincerity.

Seeing this, Do-hyeon finally paused.

The goblin was crying like a child, and there was not a hint of deception in its expression.

Realizing that none of its tricks would work, Jihad had come to understand that deception wasn’t going to get him anywhere.

[Loyalty: 18 / 100]

[Loyalty is still low. Caution is advised.]

[Remaining playtime: 00:00:41]

This was the result of 15 minutes of hard-hitting tough love.

“It’s a shame I couldn’t hit 20… but this should do.”

At least the system’s warning about being cautious of betrayal was gone.

He wouldn’t run away next time he logged in, and the rest could be handled with regular education sessions.

There was no point in using the remaining 40 seconds for more punishment, and when they were truly remorseful, it was better to offer a carrot instead of the stick.

“Yeah, now you’re looking more obedient.”

– Uuuh… Uuuh…

“It would’ve been better if you were like this from the start, don’t you think?”

– Y-yes.

Jihad Black cautiously answered, his earlier arrogance gone.

Now, he looked like a dog being scolded by its owner, watching carefully for signs of anger.

Of course, Do-hyeon couldn’t be fooled by this behavior. Letting his guard down and treating him too kindly would only make the goblin become arrogant again.

[Maximum connection time reached.]

[You will soon be logged out.]

Do-hyeon noticed the message about the 40 seconds being up and made sure to leave Jihad with a final word.

“I’m logging out.”

– W-what? Where…

“Don’t get too happy. I’ll be back soon, so behave yourself.”

– O-of course, Master! Take care!

Jihad Black, bowing so low he was almost folded in half, kept his head down for five more seconds after Do-hyeon vanished.

It showed just how deeply the fear of Do-hyeon had been imprinted in his mind.

– …He’s really gone, right?