Ranker Who Shatters Myths - Chapter 119

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

Devours Myths

 

Chapter 119

Blue Thunder (5)

 

 

 

“It was quite noisy. What a complete mess.”

Director Geum Ji-sang clasped his hands behind his back as he visited the underground training room and frowned.

After the sparring between Lee Hyeon and Executive Director Ho ended, the bustling training room now had only Executive Director Ho remaining, cooling down his sweat.

“Oh, you came? You’re late. It was a rare spectacular match to see these days.”

“Spectacular match my foot. What do you plan to do about these facilities? You’ve made a complete mess of everything.”

Geum Ji-sang tapped several machines and item cores with his hand and clicked his tongue.

Just how strong was the impact that hit them? The Spartan Rule seemed unusable for the time being.

The rest were the same.

Nothing remained intact in the training room.

“I’ll deduct it from your salary for the time being. Keep that in mind.”

“Are you crazy?! No, even if you squeeze blood from a flea, there should be limits!”

Executive Director Ho was chuckling when he suddenly jumped up in shock.

But Geum Ji-sang responded with a snort.

“Then who told you to use the toys left for the kids’ training like this?”

“Even so! I’m a basic livelihood recipient barely surviving month to month on my salary!”

“You own two decent buildings in Gangnam, and what? Basic livelihood recipient?”

“Th-that’s true, but after paying off debts, there’s nothing left in my hands,”

“And wouldn’t it be enough if you didn’t blow 90% of your salary every time buying elixirs? Anyway, keep that in mind.”

“Hey, listen! I’m not the only one who broke this!”

“So you want me to deduct the salary of the junior who fought with you too? You’ve become a senior without any compassion.”

Executive Director Ho was frustrated, but had no words to argue back, so he just pounded his chest with his fist.

Geum Ji-sang knew how to handle Executive Director Ho well.

Since he was someone who lived for ‘style,’ just scratching his pride appropriately would make him give in immediately.

Executive Director Ho knew this but was still the one getting played.

“Then who pushed your back to use the Mountain Breaking Technique? Think of it as the karma you created.”

“If you had been in that position, do you think it would have been any different! Ugh. Really, how will I live this month?”

Suddenly, a strange light appeared in Geum Ji-sang’s eyes.

“You didn’t just show the Mountain Breaking Technique for demonstration, but actually brought it out to compete with Team Leader Jang?”

“That’s what I’m telling you!”

“You expect me to believe that?”

The Mountain Breaking Technique was literally a ‘technique to break mountains.’

It was a collective term for the secret arts that each member of the Executive Group was training to target the Mountain God someday,

Since the martial theories and karma that the executives pursued their entire lives were contained within, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they were their lives themselves.

Executive Director Jeong Gyu-han chose the secular world and declined, unable to properly develop his Mountain Breaking Technique,

But the other executives were completely different.

Among them, Fierce Tiger Horn was Executive Director Ho’s Mountain Breaking Technique containing his entire life.

Geum Ji-sang understood that Executive Director Ho had shown Fierce Tiger Horn to help Lee Hyeon properly understand the Tiger King Style.

However,

“What if I don’t believe it? That’s the truth though.”

“……A kid who just regained his prime strength took Fierce Tiger Horn head-on?”

“He had enough talent and skill to close a 4-star dungeon.”

“……”

“Although he conserved his magic power to some extent, he definitely received Fierce Tiger Horn with the Tiger King Style.”

“……!”

“No, should that be called a Mountain Breaking Technique? Something like that?”

A slight smile formed on Executive Director Ho’s lips.

Meanwhile, Geum Ji-sang’s complexion was stiff.

“……What does that mean again? Explain it in detail so I can understand.”

“Just as I said. I showed Fierce Tiger Horn exactly twice.”

Executive Director Ho slowly reviewed that moment.

Even thinking about it now, it was a thrilling moment.

The first Fierce Tiger Horn, Lee Hyeon barely blocked. He was greatly surprised to learn such a thing existed.

But the second Fierce Tiger Horn was different. To break that Fierce Tiger Horn, he unleashed the Tiger King Style.

“To catch a technique made to kill the Mountain God, he conversely used the Mountain God’s technique. How fascinating is that?”

“……!!”

“In doing so, he had no choice but to reinterpret the Tiger King Style in his own way. Plus, he placed the technique he learned at the center, so there was no chance of his foundation being shaken.”

“……”

Lee Hyeon’s Tiger King Style had many curious aspects even from Executive Director Ho’s perspective.

‘The secret art he placed at the core framework…… It’s definitely something that matches the Tiger King Style, no, the Mountain God Arts. Where on earth did he learn such a thing?’

Those at the level of Executive Director Ho or Geum Ji-sang come to know.

The fact that once you become a Ranker, or especially a High Ranker, it becomes difficult to rely solely on the system.

You needed your own standards.

And based on those standards, you had to constantly train yourself and know how to establish your own karma.

Only then could you go ‘beyond.’

In that regard, Lee Hyeon was already preparing to go ‘beyond’ from now.

The unidentified core technique that dismantled the Tiger King Style was exactly that.

“In Tiger and Magpie paintings, the tiger and magpie can be interpreted in various compositions. You can see the tiger as fierce, or see the magpie mocking the tiger. Conversely, you can see the tiger and magpie clashing.”

“……”

“But Team Leader Jang, that guy seems to see the tiger and magpie harmonizing together. It’s quite an interesting interpretation.”

Executive Director Ho continued while twisting his lips.

“Meeting such a guy, how could I not get excited? Without realizing it, I put in so much effort that I think I used about 30% of my strength, but that guy still walked out on his own two feet.”

Thirty percent. Still impressive.

Considering the position Executive Director Ho currently stood at.

“……The Guild Leader brought us a monster-like guy.”

“Not monster ‘like.’ Just a monster.”

Geum Ji-sang nodded heavily.

He thought that perhaps soon an elite team comparable to A, X, Y might be created.

No, it was already created.

Since it was a team that could match Executive Director Ho to some extent, and had two Rankers.

‘Plus, I heard they’re bringing former Blue Thunder colleagues too…… It’s safe to say an unrivaled team is being created.’

The external pressure that had been intensifying recently would become that much stronger too.

Even they probably didn’t expect it to be this much.

“Then, the compensation here, considering extenuating circumstances……”

“I need to discuss more with the Guild Leader. Finish cleaning up here and go back.”

“Huh? Director Geum? Where are you going? Geum Ji-sang? Hey! Geum Ji-sang!!”

Executive Director Ho urgently shouted, but Geum Ji-sang was already hurriedly leaving the training room.

 

* * *

 

Lee Hyeon had been running around incredibly busy.

It was because Go Jin-woo had thrown all the work he was doing straight at him.

“Proprietress! One more plate of meat here!”

“……What’s with calling me proprietress?”

“We’re out of alcohol here too?”

“I’ll bring it right away. Just a moment.”

It was all work that Lee Hyeon had volunteered for.

There were many faces he hadn’t seen in a long time, so he was trying to ease the awkwardness.

This way, it would be easier for everyone to have conversations.

But……

The guys were using him way too well.

As if they had been waiting for this day alone.

“Wow! To think the day would come when we could boss around Jang Lee Hyeon with just a word!”

“Exactly. Living long enough, even days like this come, right?”

When I think about how hard Senior Jang worked me all this time…… *sob sob*.”

“……Hey, that was because situations were often urgent, and if you’re not trained in normal times, it’s dangerous in actual combat,”

“Proprietor, our makgeolli is empty here?”

Whenever he tried to give any response, they would shake empty liquor bottles, so he couldn’t say anything.

On the other side, Kim Min-jeong was sitting together with her colleagues.

“What? The reason you were late was because you were sparring with Fighting Dog!?”

“Wow, Senior Jang has guts? Knowing you had an appointment but still sparring with Fighting Dog…… What if you had broken something?”

“So how did it turn out?”

“No, more than that, Senior Jang, were you at the same company as her? Did you scout her? How did you get in contact?”

Since there were more friends who couldn’t participate in the Ulleungdo operation, Kim Min-jeong had to tell stories for quite a while.

The meeting between Lee Hyeon and A Team.

From Lee Hyeon’s joining White Burn to becoming Z Team leader.

It was like an epic saga.

And,

In the process, when it came to the part where Lee Hyeon became a Ranker again through his efforts, everyone fell silent for a brief moment.

The gazes of colleagues watching Lee Hyeon busily grilling and carrying meat changed subtly.

Then,

“That’s just like Senior Jang.”

Someone’s casually thrown remark,

Created deep ripples in their hearts.

 

* * *

 

“Ugh.”

Lee Hyeon could finally catch his breath only after a long while.

Go Jin-woo sat down next to him with a chuckle.

“Damn hard, right?”

“Hyung, how did you handle all this alone……”

“Do you know how possessed those guys get? They’re beasts, beasts. Here, you worked hard so have a drink.”

Go Jin-woo handed Lee Hyeon a beer mug filled with mixed beer and soju.

Lee Hyeon downed it in one gulp.

“Ahh!”

“Killer, right?”

“No need to say it twice.”

The alcohol was extremely cold as if ice had been poured on it. His head hurt like it would split, but thanks to that, his mind became completely clear.

Lee Hyeon picked up a few pieces of meat with his chopsticks and ate while looking at his old colleagues who were just being noisy.

While grilling meat and serving, he had many conversations with them.

There wasn’t any particular awkwardness.

Everyone had opened their hearts to him like during the Ulleungdo operation.

There were guys who approached him first asking how he’d been living, and there were guys who were angry that he hadn’t been answering calls, so they poured beer mugs full of soju telling him to drink penalty shots today.

Friends who had run the Ulleungdo operation together also chatted about various things, saying it was regrettable they couldn’t talk much about those stories back then.

But,

In the end, the greeting everyone threw at him was the same.

 

-Have you been well all this time?

 

Then Lee Hyeon would answer.

That he had been well. Thanks to them.

Then the response that came back was also the same.

 

-You worked hard.

 

How much deep resonance that short phrase left.

“Hyung.”

“Yeah?”

“It was good to have this company dinner.”

Pfft.

Go Jin-woo, who was chewing dried squid legs, let out a hollow laugh.

“What are you saying now. You just realized that? If you’re going to say nonsense, go out and sing or something.”

Go Jin-woo turned around and shouted.

“Hey guys! Jang Lee Hyeon says he’ll sing a song! Everyone clap!”

Clap clap clap!

“……!?”

“Ooh!”

“Do you take song requests too?”

Lee Hyeon, who ended up receiving a spoon microphone, glared at Go Jin-woo, but Go Jin-woo just chewed squid legs with a sneer.

In the end, Lee Hyeon sang while drunk.

He didn’t particularly have talent for singing, so everyone was swept away by waves of laughter.

Lee Hyeon scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, but seeing everyone laughing looked good, so he laughed along too.

.

.

Then when the atmosphere was at its peak,

Bang bang bang!

Go Jin-woo banged a metal container with a spoon to gather attention. He was also somewhat drunk with a reddened nose bridge.

“Everyone pay attention! Attention! Now, we’ve caught up with each other to some extent, filled our stomachs well, and got nicely tipsy, so shouldn’t we talk seriously?”

Suddenly, several people’s gazes sharpened.

“We didn’t just gather simply to have fun, right?”

Go Jin-woo grinned while looking at Lee Hyeon, whose face was completely red in the middle of his colleagues.

Since more than ten people had taken turns giving him drinks, he was already far beyond his drinking capacity.

Even when he tried to sober up, his colleagues wouldn’t let him, so his mind was also hazy.

But strangely, the moment his eyes met Go Jin-woo’s, it felt like all the intoxication cleared up.

From now on was the most important part.

For his dream, and for these people’s dreams. There was something he had to do for what happened 4 years ago.

“You should say a word, Leader?”

All gazes were now focused on Lee Hyeon.

Kim Min-jeong nodded from afar, saying he could do well. Lee Gun-san was also looking this way with satisfaction.

Lee Hyeon slowly rose from his seat. The gazes still followed him just the same.

What words should he start with?

Many words he had prepared beforehand flashed through his mind, but strangely, none came to him now.

Instead, different words came to mind.

Words he had wanted to say when he met his comrades.

“When I disappeared without a word four years ago, I thought that if I was gone, all the battlefields and suffering would end. But… now that I’m here, I understand. I know my thinking was wrong.”

A deep silence flowed.

Lee Hyeon met the eyes of his former comrades one by one.

“I’m sorry for calling you all together like this again. But for me, I only have you. There’s still much left for us to do on this battlefield.”

Lee Hyeon’s eyes blazed with fire.

“Would I… be able to fight alongside you all again?”

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