Ranker Who Shatters Myths - Chapter 137

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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 137

Operation ‘Crevasse’ (7)

 

 

 

Somewhere in Beijing.

 

The door to the room where Ruuchen had been sleeping burst wide open.

“S-sir, I’m sorry for disturbing your rest! Right now there’s an enemy surprise attack…!”

The secretary was about to bow his head, thinking he was disturbing Ruuchen who would have been sleeping peacefully, when he was startled.

Ruuchen was sitting by the window in Taoist robes, gazing at the moon. He even had fragrant tea in his hand.

As if he had been waiting for him to come.

An unrealistic appearance as if he had stepped out of a painting of immortals.

The secretary found himself staring at him blankly without realizing it.

“Is it about Tianjin?”

“Y-yes, that’s right!”

Then he belatedly came to his senses and straightened his back.

Did I mention Tianjin to him?

Those mysterious eyes that seemed to read souls.

At that moment, the secretary recalled a rumor that had been circulating among the secretarial staff recently.

That Ruuchen wasn’t particularly interested in this world, but possessed eyes that looked down from the heavens, allowing him to contemplate the world at any time…

“Well, it’s about time to wrap up that matter anyway.”

Clink!

Ruuchen muttered incomprehensible words and set down his teacup.

Tea that carried a similar fragrance to the elixir he had given to Xu Changyou.

“Tell everyone they don’t need to worry much about that matter.”

“B-but Qinglei’s offensive is no joke! We’ve identified that ASTRA is there too, so if we leave things as they are, Ping Xin’s base might…”

“That’s exactly why I’m telling you to leave it alone.”

Ruuchen glanced back slightly. He was smiling faintly.

But that appearance illuminated by moonlight,

The secretary found strangely terrifying instead.

“If he can’t overcome even that much hardship, he wouldn’t be qualified to be my partner, would he?”

What Xu Changyou had requested at their first meeting was just one thing.

A strategic partnership.

If you support me, I’ll become a strength to you in return.

To this, Ruuchen had nodded in agreement.

The Dao Ancestor was that kind of person.

Someone who gave back as much as the other person gave, and if they couldn’t, he would leave.

And wait for the next connection.

“But…”

Of course, from the secretary’s position, receiving a salary from the committee, it was a difficult order to accept.

Ping Xin was one of the major forces the committee took pride in.

If one of them broke, Ruuchen might fall out of favor with the party again.

However,

“……”

Ruuchen didn’t say anything particular.

He just looked at the secretary with a profound gaze.

“……I understand. I’ll convey that message.”

“Ah, we should treat the wounded, so have them transported here immediately. What sin could those people have? Bring them regardless of friend or foe. Don’t refuse them just because they’re from Qinglei.”

They said before he earned the nickname Dao Ancestor, he was called the Medical Immortal (a god of medical arts).

Only when speaking of treatment did his usually empty eyes show a hint of life.

The secretary bowed slightly and withdrew.

Thinking that he had come to serve a truly difficult and incomprehensible superior.

 

* * *

 

Whooooosh…!

Hot wind blew.

Thud!

Lucas collapsed with his head crushed.

Artyom clicked his tongue as he watched the scene.

“……Well now, as expected, the heretic Jang Lee Hyeon is as formidable as ever.”

The eyes revealed beneath the deeply pulled robe hood were cloudy like ash, containing no emotion whatsoever.

At the same time,

 

[The myth ‘Earth-Eating Great Mother’ activates ‘Skill: Womb of the Grave’!]

 

The ground rippled, then sharp thorns burst out in succession, forming a forest.

Just as Lucas was falling, Lee Hyeon was launching his body in this direction.

Kwa-kwa-kwang!!

The lightning bolt couldn’t penetrate the dense thorns and scattered in all directions.

Dust spread thickly.

Sparks flew incessantly through the gaps before disappearing.

Lee Hyeon was already gone from within.

Flash!

 

[You step on Eodukseoni’s Steps and emerge from the darkness!]

 

Instead, he revealed himself behind Artyom.

Whether he knew this or not,

“However, thanks to you, heretic, we’ve obtained daily bread that He will be pleased with,”

The bastard was only looking forward while spouting his own words.

Shwiiiiing-

Crack!

The axe instantly severed Artyom’s neck.

His head floated up into the air.

But… no blood poured from the severed neck.

Instead, rotten maggots spilled out.

As if it were already a dead corpse.

“Should I be grateful?”

Moreover, the head kept babbling from the sky.

Grin.

There was even a smile hanging on his lips.

 

[The myth ‘Earth-Eating Great Mother’ extends ‘Skill: Touch of Weathering’!]

 

The headless corpse thrust its hand toward him like lightning.

Hands dyed pitch black.

They were full of poison.

Its signature skill that corroded everything it touched.

Lee Hyeon swung down the Iron Devourer in his right hand.

Kwang!

Lightning and poison collided, spreading toxic fog in all directions.

One wrong breath could rot the respiratory system,

 

[Poison Immunity (S) activates, freeing you from all toxins!]

 

Lee Hyeon pressed his attack instead, based on the achievements gained from completing the Tower of Five Elements.

It was a Fury Strike barrage.

Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-

Artium’s limbs flailed wildly.

Lightning scars streaked across the rotting body.

All limbs had burst, making the form unrecognizable.

Kwang!!

Lee Hyeon closed the distance and delivered a shoulder tackle,

With a tremendous explosion, the half-destroyed body flew into the air before barely landing.

A gruesome sight with flesh and muscle crushed, broken bones visible.

Yet the creature was still ‘moving.’

As if controlled by something invisible.

Moreover,

 

[The myth ‘Earth-Eating Great Mother’ activates ‘Divine Authority: Earth’s Testament’ to attempt resurrection of ‘Lucas Montenegro’!]

 

Mana effects signaling skill activation were spreading.

The severed head had fallen back onto the neck.

It was attempting to rejoin.

Bzzzzt!!

Lee Hyeon tried to throw the Iron Devourer at the head to completely destroy it.

At that very moment,

Bang!

Suddenly a gunshot rang out from behind his head.

Tssht!

Lee Hyeon used Steps of Eodukseoni again to escape his position.

The bullet barely grazed his head before hitting the wall behind.

“…Lucas Montenegro. So you’ve been resurrected again this time?”

Lee Hyeon clicked his tongue as he revealed himself from a distant location.

Lucas, who had definitely died moments ago, was standing and pointing a pistol at him.

However, the eyes in his reattached head lacked focus.

Earth’s Testament.

He had revived Lucas through a divine authority that only chosen ones among the Underground Cult’s bishops and cardinals could use.

The Underground Cult could raise the dead like this.

Though greatly reduced in level, they retained most of their abilities from life.

“Haha. Ha. Didn’t the unbeliever already know this well? I recall you being quite angry with us because of this…”

Artium, now fully rejoined, looked at him with a wicked smile.

His appearance was hardly different from before his head was severed.

Only his torn robe indicated what had happened.

“I remember a bishop dying because of that. It was quite painful since it was lightning with exorcism properties.”

In the Underground Cult, bishops were equivalent to Rankers.

Lee Hyeon had once stormed a cult’s secret branch alone and personally killed one.

That creature had insulted his dead comrades.

Lee Hyeon’s eyes darkened deeply.

“If you remember that, then you’re prepared to die the same way?”

“Hmm… I could martyr myself for that being a hundred times over, but I don’t particularly prefer pain. It hurt quite a bit just now too.”

Artium stroked his neck.

The blackened lightning scar still stung. Embers remained, radiating heat.

“This body won’t last very long either. Unbeliever, have you learned curses as well?”

He was referring to Curse Incantations.

Lee Hyeon imbued his lightning with different Curse Incantations depending on the opponent.

Against Lucas, he used ‘Cognitive Avoidance’ to delay recognition and reaction to attacks,

Against Artium, he applied ‘Exorcism Revival’ and ‘Lightning Strike’ to maximize anti-demonic properties.

“Who knows.”

“Well, it would be difficult to explain properly to an enemy like me.”

“No matter how I think about it, I don’t understand.”

“What do you mean?”

“Why you joined hands with the Committee.”

Lee Hyeon narrowed his eyes while resting the axe on one shoulder.

“The City Cartel is desperately trying to find the culprit because the Goblin Market closed in Korea, but you don’t have such reasons yet, do you?”

From earlier, the creature hadn’t been fighting, just kept talking.

Like it was testing the waters?

Even when exchanging blows.

It felt like constantly going in circles.

“Do you think I have other motives?”

“Just get to the point. If not, I’ll kill you.”

Lee Hyeon’s eyes gleamed sharply.

“Haha. Ha. As expected, the unbeliever is… very sharp indeed. So clever, too clever. Chillingly so.”

Artium spoke with a wide grin splitting his face.

“You’re right. We actually came here for a different purpose.”

“Purpose?”

“I came as an envoy.”

“Envoy?”

“Yes. I have something to deliver to the Mountain God.”

Lee Hyeon remained silent, unable to grasp Artium’s aim.

“Haha. Ha. There’s no need to be so suspicious. You just need to deliver a letter.”

Artium pulled something from his inventory and threw it to Lee Hyeon.

Thud!

Lee Hyeon caught it lightly.

It really was a letter.

Parchment that might have been used in medieval times.

Folded into a rectangle and sealed tightly with wax. The dark red seal stamped in the center looked ominous.

“Actually, we were supposed to deliver that letter to Y Team in South Africa… But our cult’s bishop in charge got blinded by meeting the unbeliever after so long and couldn’t do it.”

Artium bowed his head politely like a medieval nobleman.

“He hadn’t been a bishop for long and couldn’t exercise proper judgment. I apologize on behalf of our cult for that incident.”

The Underground Cult’s priests and believers were all consumed by a unique madness.

The Great Mother, who had no specific myth to begin with, was an incomplete being from birth.

Those who worship such a being have incomplete reason and faith as well.

That’s why they were always tormented by thirst and hunger.

Human sacrifice, or cannibalistic rituals were also for that reason.

“The bishop in charge who failed in his duties has been dealt with through separate personnel measures, so please forgive us if there are any misunderstandings.”

Meaning they had already killed and finished eating him.

That position would have been passed to another candidate priest.

‘They planned to test me first, then eat me if it seemed feasible, and if not, they would just eat Lucas.’

This place was already overflowing with casualties from the battle.

Even just taking a few decent slaves among them would have been a profitable deal.

No, they would have already enslaved the Ranker-level casualties early on.

“Originally we thought about visiting Korea separately, but we felt we would be turned away before even setting foot on the ground. So we had no choice but to force ourselves to borrow this opportunity.”

Lee Hyeon pondered for a moment.

‘What should I do?’

Whether to tear up this letter or not.

Currently, he had consumed considerable magic power while dealing with Han Cheol-woo’s group and Lucas.

But facing Artyom, who would have already formed a legion from the dead, was too much for him in this state.

His mana circuits were starting to overload now.

Even the magic power contained in the Cloak of Bitter Cold had its limits.

So,

Since there was still a conflict with Xu Changyou, it would be right to just send them away…

Whoosh!

Lee Hyeon simply burned the letter with an indifferent look.

Black ash scattered.

“…Are you saying you cannot serve as an envoy?”

“No. I’m saying I won’t.”

“What difference does that,”

“A big one.”

Lee Hyeon twisted his lips.

“Because you can’t take my comrades away again like last time.”

“For such a trivial reason,”

“Trivial?”

Crackle! Crackle!!

Lightning sparked roughly over Lee Hyeon’s shoulders.

“That’s everything to me.”

Crackle!!

Lee Hyeon’s body began to turn blue-white.

At the same time, a pillar of light shot up as if piercing the sky.

A phenomenon that appeared when Lee Hyeon’s Divine Authority manifested.

It was Blue Jet.

 

[‘Divine Authority: Thunder Ghost’ is being activated!]

 

Whoooosh!

The surroundings were already filled with blue-white lightning branches.

Lee Hyeon unleashed Thunder Ghost based on his heated body.

‘Originally I planned to activate this when meeting Changyou, but I’ll use it to strike that guy first.’

Thunder Ghost’s characteristic was one-hit kill.

He intended to sweep him away in one blow.

“…In this situation, I have no choice either. I’ll have to find another way to deliver the letter to the Mountain God next time.”

Artyom showed a strange smile as he stomped his foot. His mouth, torn to his ears, looked as hideous as a demon.

Thump!

At that moment,

Bubble bubble-

The ground began to boil and started spitting out humans one by one.

Following Lucas, even the dead Han Cheol-woo and Choi Young-ho.

Besides them, key Hunters who had been guarding the central base were revived.

“I’ll have to take you along with them, Jang Lee Hyeon.”

Just as the legion of the dead was about to move according to the demon’s command.

 

“That’s enough. From now on, I’ll handle the greetings instead.”

 

Suddenly a loud echo rang from the sky,

 

[Myth, ‘Ruler of All Things’ declares ‘Divine Authority: Dominion of Bitter Cold’!]

 

Whoooosh!!

Suddenly a fierce blizzard swept through the world, freezing solid not only the blue-white lightning that filled the area, but also the entire legion Artyom had summoned.

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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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