Ranker Who Shatters Myths - Chapter 108

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

 

 

 

The Broken Ranker

Devours Myths

 

Chapter 108

Tower of Five Elements (8)

 

 

 

The titles and nicknames referring to Son Wukong are incredibly diverse.

Monkey King, Bima Wen, Xuanzang’s Disciple, Victorious Fighting Buddha, Golden-Haired Ape…

However,

Among them, there was a separate title that Son Wukong cherished most.

Great Sage Equal to Heaven.

The great sage who pacified the heavens.

Originally, it was close to self-praise that he gave himself while causing havoc after taking an official position in the Heavenly Realm,

But nowadays, it has become a name that immediately comes to mind like a set when you say ‘Son Wukong’.

And…

‘It has also become a symbol of Son Wukong who is now at odds with the entire Heavenly Realm again.’

Lee Hyeon had said he wanted to inherit the position of that very Great Sage Equal to Heaven.

Lee Hyeon thought Son Wukong would burst into anger, telling him to know his place.

Or just dismiss it as nonsense.

But Lee Hyeon was absolutely not lying.

He was sincere.

A disciple, not an apostle.

He didn’t want a simple relationship between believer and god.

‘…The Great Sage has things I don’t have.’

It’s not just about the power to overturn the heavens.

Confidence that borders on arrogance.

Self-assurance that he can accomplish anything.

He wanted to learn such strong will and driving force.

He wanted to resemble his attitude toward the world.

Such things could never be learned in a relationship between god and believer.

Something that could only be learned through closer intimacy in a private relationship, not a public one.

‘Honestly, I’d also like to keep this apostle position for my brother.’

There was also the feeling that if he took this position, there would be no place left for his brother.

 

-You could become something greater than just a simple apostle.

 

Moon Su-chan’s voice seemed to echo in his ears.

However,

“……”

Son Wukong showed no reaction, contrary to Lee Hyeon’s expectations.

As if all excitement had completely vanished, not even a trace of emotion remained on his face.

“Since when?”

“What do you mean?”

“When you started having such thoughts.”

“It was from when I first learned Condensed Lightning from the Great Sage.”

“Condensed Lightning? You mean when I first taught you Kéraunos?”

As if surprised, one of Son Wukong’s eyebrows twitched.

Lee Hyeon nodded.

“Yes. That’s when I first glimpsed the Great Sage’s way of dealing with the world.”

“……”

“At that time, the world was nothing more than something I had to overcome somehow. I felt as if everything in the world was forcibly dragging me down.”

“……”

“I thought the Great Sage would feel the same way as me.”

“……”

“But you didn’t.”

Lee Hyeon still couldn’t forget that time.

While grumbling as he watched him struggle to somehow grasp the basics of Condensed Lightning with Breath of Dueoksini,

He remembered his appearance, already worrying about how to teach the next stage.

“The Great Sage didn’t have the anxiety that others possess.”

Son Wukong crossed his arms and snorted.

“Where in the world is there a person without fear? Even I,”

“Yes. You might have had anxiety in one corner of your heart. But I don’t think such feelings were significant for the Great Sage?”

“…Well, that’s true.”

“If you fail, just try beating it with another method – you would have thought of it so casually.”

“……”

“Living faithfully day by day and giving your all, but if things don’t go well, using that as a new opportunity to leap forward again… that appearance was new to me.”

“……”

“At least for me… it was something I didn’t have.”

Son Wukong’s Golden Eyes of Truth reflected Lee Hyeon.

How would his appearance seen within those eyes look?

He couldn’t tell.

“So from that time, I wanted to learn everything about the Great Sage. Your attitude toward life, purpose, actions – everything. Because they were things I didn’t have.”

The freedom and independence he had embedded in his fighting style were the same.

They were things Lee Hyeon, who had always lived bound by circumstances, didn’t possess.

Lee Hyeon wanted to incorporate those into his own fighting style as well.

“So you want to inherit my position?”

“Because I want to resemble the Great Sage.”

“……”

“For that, I thought I needed to become a successor who could inherit the Great Sage’s teachings and methods at any time.”

The Great Sage Equal to Heaven still gave no answer.

He couldn’t tell what he was thinking either.

Even when looking with Golden Eyes of Truth,

‘Colorless.’

His surroundings were pitch black.

‘I can’t see anything.’

Could one hide their mental images and thoughts if their level was high enough?

He couldn’t tell.

“……”

“……”

After such a suffocatingly long time passed,

“I understand your thoughts.”

Son Wukong answered calmly with still no emotion showing.

“But your request is impossible.”

“Great Sage…!”

“The position of Great Sage Equal to Heaven belongs only to me. I have no intention of passing it on to anyone. I don’t have the luxury of having something as grand as a successor either.”

“…….”

“However,”

“……?”

Son Wukong’s Golden Eyes of Truth captured Lee Hyeon.

“I can at least play the role of an advisor who teaches you a thing or two whenever needed.”

“……!”

“Will you still do it?”

Lee Hyeon’s eyes widened, then he let out a hollow laugh.

“Isn’t that usually called a ‘disciple’?”

“Shut up. Bringing me worries I never even thought about. What kind of guy are you… Sigh.”

Son Wukong ran his hand through his hair as if troubled.

The expressionless face he had shown until just moments ago had disappeared.

‘What on earth was he worrying about while looking at me?’

Lee Hyeon couldn’t know.

He could only guess that Son Wukong had been thinking of someone.

However, he could tell that Son Wukong’s earlobes were slightly red, showing he was trying to hide his embarrassment somehow.

‘He’s surprisingly not honest about these things.’

Lee Hyeon smiled faintly and pretended not to notice.

“Apostle or disciple, honestly I don’t see much difference from what we’ve been doing so far… But if you want to receive proper, formal teachings,”

Son Wukong’s will blazed up like flames again.

“At the very least, you should be able to show that your heart is that earnest and that you have the capacity to receive what I pass down, right?”

Lee Hyeon felt that Son Wukong’s gaze had changed.

Not a simple hierarchical relationship with strong class distinctions and distant emotional barriers like between a god and apostle,

But the kind of gaze shown in a closer, more equal partnership centered on bonds.

Lee Hyeon realized he had entered the circle of ‘family’ that Son Wukong always spoke of.

“Can’t you just give it to me? I’m tired from running through six rounds in a row.”

“Shut up, you brat! Do you think I want to bother thinking up test content again? You’re the one who won’t just accept what’s given and keeps making demands!”

At Lee Hyeon’s lighthearted joke, Son Wukong frowned.

He seemed to have returned to his original self.

“I’m joking, just joking.”

“Really… Just wait until we get out of here. I’ll work you to the bone.”

Suddenly, Son Wukong irritably plucked a handful of his hair and blew on it.

Whoosh-

 

[A sudden event has occurred!]

[In response to your plea to reject apostleship and become a disciple, ■■■■ ■■■ has modified the existing test to prepare a new trial.]

[■■■■ ■■■ wishes to confirm your discernment. From now on, find the real ■■■■ ■■■.]

 

[‘Event: Apostle Test’ has been changed to ‘Sudden Event: Master-Disciple Certification’.]

 

Pop! Pop! Pop-pop-pop!

The hair strands that flew everywhere on the wind all transformed into Son Wukong.

One Son Wukong sat in a chair yawning lazily, while another stood blankly with his hands behind his back. There was a sitting Son Wukong and one hanging upside down from the ceiling.

Dozens of Son Wukongs, each with different attitudes and reactions.

The real Son Wukong had disappeared without a trace.

“Now, find the real one.”

“Now, find the real one.”

All the Son Wukongs spoke in unison.

“”Kid, if you really want to be like me, you should be able to find this great master quickly, right?””

“”If you find me, I’ll accept you as an unregistered disciple at least.””

Unregistered. A term commonly referring to disciples not formally enrolled,

But Lee Hyeon was satisfied with even that much for now.

After all, Son Wukong had never had any formal disciples, successors, or even apostles.

If he could achieve it, that position would make him the Great Sage Equal to Heaven’s heir.

‘He’s just saying that out of embarrassment.’

“Easy. I was worried the final test might be grabbing the Great Sage by the collar or punching him in the face.”

Lee Hyeon twisted his lips as he looked at the dozens of Son Wukongs,

“”Oh? Cocky, are you? You think you can find the real one among us?””

“”You don’t seriously think we’re just going to stand here quietly, do you?””

The dozens of Son Wukongs looked at him incredulously.

Indeed, even with Golden Eyes of Truth or demonic senses, all the Son Wukongs had the same colored aura.

Whoosh!

Swoosh!

The Son Wukongs actually began jumping around teasingly.

Some playfully cast various spells to create strong winds, while others prepared to fight Lee Hyeon with their Ruyi Jingu Bangs like the first clone he had faced.

However,

“Yes. It’s easy.”

Lee Hyeon lowered the axe in his right hand while filling it with magic power.

Bzzzzzzt!!

Crack! Crackle!

The cheerful sound of metal ringing.

Lightning sparked up as both the Ruyi Chain and the Divine Power of the Golden Headband were infused, glowing as if about to explode.

“I can see it too clearly.”

Lee Hyeon’s gaze wasn’t directed at any of those many Son Wukongs.

The ceiling.

“”No way!?””

The moment all the Son Wukongs looked shocked,

“You’re too late.”

Lee Hyeon swung his lightning-charged axe upward in a long arc.

 

[Dueoksini’s Specter erupts!]

 

Krrrrrumble!!

Blue-white lightning instantly split the ceiling,

Crackle-crackle-crack-

Boom-boom-boom!

Finally, the ceiling completely collapsed, revealing what lay beyond.

Beyond the Tower of Five Elements.

There was another Son Wukong.

With a tremendously giant body like a giant.

With enormous eyes like the sun, wide with surprise.

Lee Hyeon was smiling brightly in their reflection.

‘No. It’s the opposite. Son Wukong didn’t grow bigger. I became smaller.’

Rumble-rumble-rumble…!!

At that moment, tremors shook the entire Tower of Five Elements before it completely collapsed. No, more precisely, it was ‘released.’

Each floor of the tower had been Son Wukong’s ‘fingers.’

That’s right.

Lee Hyeon had been in Son Wukong’s palm from the very beginning!

『……Huh.』

All of Son Wukong’s clones that had been showing off until just moments ago disappeared.

Now all that remained was the giant palm and Lee Hyeon standing at its center.

Giant Son Wukong let out a hollow laugh, not expecting to be discovered so quickly,

“There, you see? Wasn’t it easy to find?”

Lee Hyeon twisted his lips and shouted boldly.

The legend of Son Wukong sealed in Five Elements Mountain for 500 years. That Five Elements Mountain was actually Buddha Shakyamuni’s palm…….

The situation that gave rise to the saying ‘Son Wukong in Buddha’s palm’ was happening to Lee Hyeon in exactly the same way.

『Just how long have you known?』

“I’ve known from the beginning.”

『……From the beginning? How?』

“Throughout climbing the tower, the Great Sage’s will has grown so strong – wouldn’t it be stranger not to notice?”

Lee Hyeon grinned.

“Didn’t I tell you? That I wanted to resemble the Great Sage, so I pursued many things about him.”

『I see…….』

Once again, a deep silence flowed.

Snort!

Son Wukong let out a light chuckle and twisted his lips.

In that moment,

Flash!!

Golden light blazed from the two eyes of giant Son Wukong, massive as the sun and moon.

『Good. Then,』

Lee Hyeon sensed the tremendous pressure of overwhelming presence he had felt when first meeting Son Wukong bearing down on him.

 

[Combat Sense(S+) warns of danger!]

 

『Let’s see you try to block this too.』

Kukukukuku……!!

Giant Son Wukong raised his other hand high and struck down fiercely at the palm where Lee Hyeon stood.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————