Ranker Who Shatters Myths - Chapter 209

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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 209

 

U.C.O. (6)

 

“Damn it… This isn’t really some kind of death flag or something, right? Haa…! Haa…!”

 

The spot where part of the aircraft’s fuselage had fallen.

 

Oh Su-heon ran frantically while looking at the wing fragments with black smoke curling up from them.

 

He didn’t know exactly how much blood he had lost,

 

but judging by how his vision kept shaking even with a Ranker’s stamina, he had clearly reached a dangerous level.

 

[Fatigue: 82]

 

[Warning! You are approaching a critical state. Retreat to a Safe Zone and treat your injuries.]

 

[The degree of bodily damage is severe.]

 

Sure enough.

 

His fatigue level was already approaching the dangerous threshold where most Hunters would receive a fatal injury assessment.

 

‘Looking at those wing fragments, I can’t feel anything in my wing joint area. My left arm won’t even move – maybe it’s dislocated. This is driving me crazy, seriously.’

 

In fact, Oh Su-heon had already been injured by explosion fragments when parachuting from the aircraft.

 

To make matters worse, his landing point happened to be in an area with a high concentration of hyena packs.

 

The chase had begun from that moment.

 

Vrooooom!

 

It was the same now.

 

The sound of motorcycles racing roughly across the sand grated on his nerves.

 

Not too far, but not too close either.

 

It was the same strategy lionesses use when hunting large prey – wearing down their stamina.

 

After he had directly torn the throats of a few that initially approached as an example, they had continued with this tactic.

 

‘If I’m going to deal with them, I need to finish them all at once, in one go.’

 

But would he really be okay in this condition?

 

The radio item had stopped working, probably due to magical interference.

 

His spine seemed injured too, as his legs were gradually going numb…

 

He worried that attacking recklessly might only expose his weaknesses,

 

but Oh Su-heon bit down hard and steeled his weakening resolve.

 

He couldn’t close his eyes in this foreign land.

 

Back in Korea, there was still a son waiting for him, and a husband too.

 

Her husband had dreams of becoming a television producer, but when his wife said she wanted to return to military service, he abandoned his dreams without looking back and focused solely on childcare.

 

He had sacrificed his own time for his wife. She didn’t want to make such a grateful person shed tears.

 

Grip.

 

Oh Su-heon’s hand tightened firmly around her sword.

 

[The legend ‘Plum Blossoms Blooming in Snow’ is gradually awakening!]

 

The fragrance of winter plum blossoms that symbolized her began to bloom faintly with each step.

 

* * *

 

Haa, haa-

 

His breath scattered like sand.

 

Kang Tae-gyun.

 

A former member of the Thunder Unit and Z Team’s tank, he was carrying a comrade on his shoulder.

 

“Don’t die, Geon-o. Hang in there. Just a little longer.”

 

He could feel the body temperature cooling.

 

The blood had already hardened to a black sand color instead of red.

 

“You’re a lifelong bachelor, so if you die here you’ll just become a bachelor ghost. You can’t even find virgin ghosts in the desert, you know? Huh? So snap out of it-”

 

“You fucking bastard… Who said I was a lifelong bachelor… That’s not true. Damn it.”

 

Nam Geon-o barely lifted his drooping head.

 

Kang Tae-gyun’s face brightened considerably.

 

“Hey! Are you coming to?”

 

“Fuck, how could I not come to when you’re falsely accusing me of being a bachelor in front of Samdocheon?”

 

Nam Geon-o was frowning, seemingly in pain from his injuries.

 

“I remembered all that nonsense you guys used to spout about holding a ghost wedding for me if I died. I came back because I’d be too embarrassed to die in the underworld. Happy now? Thanks a lot, you bastard.”

 

“Yeah. Welcome back. But you are a lifelong bachelor, right?”

 

“Hey! No I’m not! I did everything I needed to do when I was young-”

 

“Honestly, shouldn’t we exclude holding hands with your kindergarten partner?”

 

“You son of a…!”

 

“Shh!”

 

Kang Tae-gyun suddenly roughly covered Nam Geon-o’s mouth and pressed flat against the ground.

 

Whirrrrr.

 

The whirring of a UAV hovering like a bird overhead grew louder.

 

Through his goggles, a reflection flashed from atop a distant sand dune.

 

Thermal imaging detector.

 

The enemy was searching for them.

 

“Hey, what are you trying to do?”

 

“I have to take it down. Stay here.”

 

Kang Tae-gyun pushed Nam Geon-o under a sand mound and lay flat himself.

 

“One drone, altitude 30 meters. Distance is… 200.”

 

His main weapon was originally a hammer.

 

But a hammer was too heavy to take down that distant drone. He had no long-range skills either.

 

Nam Geon-o could use poison, but he was currently in no condition to move.

 

In the end, Kang Tae-gyun pulled out the M4A1 he carried as auxiliary equipment.

 

“Can you handle it?”

 

“I have to.”

 

“Your marksmanship is terrible too…”

 

“Then will you shoot it for me?”

 

“I think my ribs might give out.”

 

“That’s why I said I’ll do it.”

 

Kang Tae-gyun grinned, telling him not to worry.

 

Nam Geon-o pressed his lips tightly together.

 

His comrade and friend was just big in stature, but such an innocent guy.

 

It wasn’t like he was some country youth fresh to Seoul.

 

Wait, no. He came up from Muju in Jeolla Province, so he was a country youth, right?

 

If he heard this, he’d probably protest that Muju is officially a ‘city’ too.

 

However,

 

on the battlefield, he was also a friend more brutal and cold-blooded than anyone.

 

Kang Tae-gyun placed the barrel on the sand, steadied his breathing, and pulled the trigger on his second exhale.

 

Bang-

 

The bullet cut through the air.

 

One of the UAV’s propellers shattered and its trajectory curved. Metal fragments scattered like rain.

 

“Got it…!”

 

But that was the problem.

 

Light. Sound.

 

And heat.

 

Beyond the desert, black dots rose up all at once through the rolling sand dust.

 

“…Damn it.”

 

“We’re screwed. Fuck, why are there so many? Those bastards.”

 

Nam Geon-o twisted his lips in annoyance.

 

In his field of vision, dust rose roughly as harsh engine sounds approached this way.

 

Vroooom!!

 

Two vehicles mounted with machine guns were coming over the sand dunes.

 

Kang Tae-gyun urgently carried Nam Geon-o on his back.

 

“Hey! What are you trying to do?”

 

Nam Geon-o was startled.

 

“Going to the end. Can’t die here.”

 

“What are you talking about? Just leave me,”

 

Nam Geon-o wanted to tell him to leave him behind, but the moment he saw Kang Tae-gyun’s firm eyes, he couldn’t say such words anymore.

 

Only then did he recall what kind of pain Kang Tae-gyun had gone through.

 

Four years ago.

 

In the 【Ice Palace】 raid, that guy had lost his partner.

 

Eyes that had once been innocent were now extremely resolute.

 

“Never say such words again.”

 

“…Got it. I just need to get on your back, right? I’m definitely not getting on because I’m scared of getting hit by you, okay? You know that, right? Hey! Say something back!?”

 

“Later. For now, bite down hard. You might bite your tongue.”

 

[Legend ‘Lumberjack of the Great Flood’ activates, adding momentum to your speed!]

 

Whoosh-

 

As soon as he finished speaking, Kang Tae-gyun kicked off the sandy ground forcefully.

 

The destination was a desert ravine located not far away.

 

His breath was torn apart.

 

His vision shook.

 

Rat-tat-tat-tat!!

 

Bullets sprayed and bounced across the sand.

 

He could hear them shouting something while driving their vehicles closer this way.

 

Pop!

 

“Tae-gyun!”

 

“I’m… fine! This much is nothing!!”

 

A stray bullet barely grazed Kang Tae-gyun’s side as it passed by.

 

His legend was the folk tale, 【Tree Boy】.

 

Just like the story where a heavenly fairy descended to earth and bore a son with the spirit of a tree god,

 

Wood fibers quickly grew on his side, healing the wound.

 

Incidentally, Tree Boy was also as warm-hearted as Kang Tae-gyun, having saved many animals during a great flood and later receiving their gratitude.

 

“Tae-gyun! They’re getting close!”

 

“Damn it…!!”

 

Just as Nam Geon-o’s shout grew louder while looking back,

 

Kaboom!!

 

An explosion suddenly erupted from behind.

 

One of the UAV fragments that had fallen earlier exploded belatedly while still containing fuel.

 

This caused a storm to surge forward, mixing sand and flames that blew away one of the armored vehicles,

 

and Kang Tae-gyun rolled his body to the ground in that gap. He quickly hid behind a rock while tightly embracing Nam Geon-o.

 

“Ugh!”

 

“Are you okay?”

 

“Did you gain weight? Why are you so heavy… Ugh.”

 

Kang Tae-gyun and Nam Geon-o exchanged light jokes while barely catching their breath.

 

Then, as they tried to check where the remaining armored vehicle was moving,

 

Crackle.

 

『…Respond. …me? …er. …anyone there?』

 

Kang Tae-gyun and Nam Geon-o’s gazes met.

 

The radio that had suddenly stopped was working again.

 

Kang Tae-gyun hurriedly brought the brooch to his lips.

 

“Responding. Two survivors. Northeast edge of the desert. One enemy vehicle, one drone. Currently engaged.”

 

A moment of silence.

 

That brief moment felt like an eternity of anxiety to the two men.

 

Was it just a momentary coincidence?

 

Just as Kang Tae-gyun’s face was about to cloud with worry again,

 

Crackle.

 

『This is Cloud 1, it seems Jet succeeded in removing the magic interference. We successfully rescued Bolt 1 a moment ago. Maintain your position. We’re heading your way. Repeat. We just rescued Bolt 1. Maintain your position. We’re heading your way.』

 

“…!”

 

“…!!”

 

Kang Tae-gyun and Nam Geon-o simultaneously clenched their fists.

 

Cloud 1 meant Kim Min-jeong, and Bolt 1 meant Oh Su-heon.

 

If the two rankers specialized in cover and infiltration respectively had gathered in one place, they no longer needed to worry about what came next.

 

‘The UAV fragment explosion from earlier was Min-jeong’s doing too!’

 

That clean yet aggressive handiwork as always.

 

“…Good.”

 

Kang Tae-gyun smiled with satisfaction as he drew the hammer he had slung on his back and gripped it tightly with both hands.

 

The enemy’s engine sound grew louder again. They were approaching this way.

 

The sandstorm was still ominous, but to him it looked like hope.

 

As long as his teammates were safe,

 

the battle wasn’t over yet.

 

This was just the beginning.

 

* * *

 

Kim Min-jeong’s movement was very fast.

 

‘I was lucky. Who would have thought it was Oh senior in the transport plane wreckage.’

 

How happy she was when she met Oh Su-heon.

 

Even with protocols in place, she had been wondering where to start gathering team members, so meeting a reliable senior put her mind at ease.

 

Of course, she was in an injured state and many enemies were conducting a sweep,

 

but such things weren’t particularly difficult obstacles for Kim Min-jeong, who had no major injuries.

 

She also had large potions prepared for the wounded.

 

Thanks to that,

 

Oh Su-heon was able to complete treatment to the point where she could move, if not completely healed.

 

After that, the two focused on gathering the scattered forces.

 

Whoosh-

 

When Oh Su-heon became a gust and swept through the pursuit team,

 

Bang! Pop!!

 

Kim Min-jeong’s covering sniper fire followed behind, instantly blowing off the enemies’ heads.

 

Cracks began to gradually appear in the formation of those who had been trying to establish an encirclement.

 

‘Plus the magic interference ended faster than expected. Either Jang senior quickly struck their rear, or made all their equipment useless.’

 

Crackle.

 

『This is Cloud 1, Z Team respond. This is Cloud 1, Z Team respond. We are currently…!』

 

In the middle of the wasteland,

 

Kim Min-jeong’s voice was reaching not only Z Team, but also X Team who had fallen behind without finding their other comrades yet, and the remaining forces of Astra.

 

The discovery of Kang Tae-gyun and Nam Geon-o was also accomplished during this process. Seo Ae-ri, Z Team’s veteran, also joined without any significant injuries, becoming a reliable blade.

 

Thus,

 

the gathered personnel already exceeded ten people…

 

『I repeat. This is Cloud 1, we are now moving to point A2 in the northwest. I repeat. This is…』

 

They moved west for quick assembly.

 

The place Lee Hyeon had designated as an emergency gathering point.

 

Known for frequent U.C.O. appearances,

 

the Palmyra Ruins.

 

‘No matter how I look at it, this seems like too dangerous an action, but that’s exactly why it’ll be harder for pursuit teams to follow. Currently, this is the only safe place.’

 

To hide something well, finding the darkest place under the lamp is the best method.

 

Kim Min-jeong accelerated their movement speed even more.

 

‘Senior, please return safely.’

 

Leaving behind both faith and worry for Lee Hyeon.

 

‘But,’

 

Then Kim Min-jeong slightly frowned.

 

‘Eom Gi-seon, where the hell did this guy fall to that we can’t even see his shadow? I hope nothing else happened to him…’

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile, at that time.

 

Eom Gi-seon was,

 

“Hehe, if I handle this place and go, I should be able to restore the points I lost with our big sister, right?”

 

drawing his half-sword not far from the telescopic observation tower.

 

Shing-

 

Having successfully landed on the ground, he was able to find where enemies had gathered relying solely on his ‘senses’…

 

The skill [Beast Sense] he had acquired through grueling special training with Executive Director Ho, even giving up his vacation.

 

This was specialized in tracking killing intent left by enemies to discover the source.

 

Eom Gi-seon planned to infiltrate the telescopic observation tower alone and eliminate all the Sima Society’s demons.

 

If he did that, it would be a great help to Kim Min-jeong, who must be busy gathering the scattered team members right now.

 

This was a golden opportunity to restore the disappointment he had bought last time when Lee Hyeon caught him dating near the company.

 

“Since then, I couldn’t even hold her hand properly… I, the manly man Eom Gi-seon, can’t just end it like this.”

 

The moment he glared and was about to dash toward the telescopic observation tower,

 

“…Huh?”

 

Eom Gi-seon stopped mid-run and was startled.

 

The telescopic observation tower where he naturally expected enemies to be positioned was,

 

Crack! Crackle!!

 

Rumble-

 

already in the midst of being turned into a complete mess.

 

“Aaaah!”

 

“Save me!!”

 

“Mon, monster…! Get lost!!”

 

War chariots and armored vehicles were exploding one after another, machine guns lost power midway and only hit the innocent ground. The concrete tower was collapsing entirely.

 

Naturally,

 

Lee Hyeon was at the center of it all.

 

The massacre that occurred every time he swung an axe much larger than his own height felt like something from a completely different world.

 

Screech-

 

“Team Leader! Stop! Stooooop! Save some for me too! Save some for me too! Please!?”

 

Eom Gi-seon ran frantically.

—————
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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