Ranker Who Shatters Myths - Chapter 231

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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 231

Immortal Project (2)

All the survivors enjoyed reuniting with their comrades after such a long time.

“Aesion! Haha! To think you were alive…! Yes! I knew someone like you would be safe!”

“Sir! Captain Aesion, reporting safe return!”

“This guy, still being so stiff even here. You’ve been through a lot.”

They embraced each other, enjoying their reunion,

“As expected of the Colonel, you’re amazing. I knew you’d pull through. How did you manage to do this even while the transport was exploding…”

“Don’t flatter me. I didn’t do anything. It’s all thanks to Jet.”

“Still, Colonel, you comforted and led the survivors well, which is why everyone could return safely like this, isn’t it?”

Michael Shepherd, who brought Desert Eagle, was instantly treated like a hero.

However,

The place that received the biggest welcome was actually elsewhere.

“Those guys are…?”

“Yeah. That’s right. It’s White Burn. Z-Team and X-Team at that.”

It was Lee Hyeon and White Burn.

“Just two teams changing the tide of battle like this. The more I see, the more amazing it is.”

“Their names have been heard quite often everywhere lately, right? It’s well deserved.”

“So that young guy over there is Jet?”

“His eyes are definitely as sharp as I heard?”

“I want to get close to him. Isn’t there some way?”

Some interested individuals actively approached to greet them.

Especially those who had previously run joint operations with the Thunder Unit actively acknowledged them.

“I’ve run operations with them before, you know? There are some familiar faces, so I’ll go say hello.”

“What? Hey! Then I’ll come too! Introduce me.”

“I was getting sick of watching those Ping Xin bastards acting all cocky… Let me come too. I should at least say thanks.”

Z-Team of White Burn was already like an idol to ASTRA and UN forces on the Middle East Front.

“W-why are these Yankees suddenly acting like this!?”

“I don’t know. They say they want to get close to us?”

“Ah, these dark-skinned guys swarming over, what kind of behavior is this! I want to be popular with women!!”

“Aaaah! Stop calling us over, you guys! I can’t breathe!!”

“…Strangely, I can’t adapt to this atmosphere. Is this really the place where we were fighting just a moment ago?”

But unlike X-Team, who fit in well with the atmosphere to some extent, Lee Hyeon and Z-Team couldn’t quite blend in despite being at the center of attention.

No, more precisely, they couldn’t go deep into it?

That was probably because,

“What are you doing, you guys! We should be lifting them up in celebration!”

“One! Two! Heave-ho!”

“Heave-ho-ho!!”

Memories from their Thunder Unit days came flooding back.

“…”

Lee Hyeon was watching the welcome greetings happening everywhere.

“I’m envious.”

Then, Kim Min-jeong quietly approached Lee Hyeon and struck up a conversation.

“Don’t say useless things.”

“Actually, isn’t Senior Jang the most envious one?”

“…”

“What we wanted wasn’t even that much… We just wanted to be acknowledged.”

Lee Hyeon smiled bitterly and didn’t particularly respond.

It wasn’t wrong, after all.

‘Here… all the survivors are heroes.’

Here, they weren’t simply celebrating the survivors’ return. They were also acknowledging their hard work and achievements. Both their comrades and their countries.

But what if it were Korea?

‘They’d only be welcomed by their comrades, but to the higher-ups, survivors mostly become burdens. Because they remain as evidence of their failed plans.’

Lee Hyeon was so envious of that kind of atmosphere.

‘Yes. This is… America. The one that reveres heroes. Quite different from us. America.’

He had heard that most of those involved in the Thunder Unit’s dissolution had been punished by now,

But he thought the trauma deeply embedded in one corner of his heart would be hard to erase for a lifetime.

However,

‘It’s not too late yet. It’s enough to start changing from now. I’ll change it. Starting with what I can do right now.’

Lee Hyeon had a resolution he had made up his mind about at some point.

He just hadn’t brought it up because it wasn’t time yet.

He planned to unravel it one by one after this matter was over.

While he was comforting his heart like that, a sound caught his ear.

“Henry? Why are you here? What? You were assigned to this unit? Wow! This is crazy. Huh? What are you saying! Hey! Who am I! I’m the hero who saved you guys! Aren’t you going to bow your heads in gratitude?”

Lee Hyeon discovered Eom Gi-seon, who had somehow mixed in among the ASTRA unit members and was shouting triumphantly, and smiled lightly.

Pfft.

“Your ex-boyfriend and current boyfriend is over there having a great time.”

Instantly, deep furrows formed on Kim Min-jeong’s brow.

“…When did that guy go all the way over there again. I’ll bring him out. Really.”

“Leave him be. It looks like his shoulders are full of strength for the first time in a while.”

“That’s exactly why I should bring him out quickly. He’ll just get hot air in his lungs acting like that for no reason.”

Lee Hyeon burst into loud laughter watching Kim Min-jeong disappear while fuming.

Just then,

“Since we seem to have arrived safely at our destination, we uninvited guests will take our leave here.”

Colonel Gaius approached with a cigarette in his mouth and grinned.

Lee Hyeon smiled back.

“You’ve been through a lot.”

“What hardship? Jet did all the work alone. Honestly, didn’t we just freeload?”

Lee Hyeon felt a bit strange.

Actually, Lee Hyeon had very strong prejudices against Maein due to his background.

Those who harm humanity’s order.

So he considered them targets that must be subjugated the moment they were seen,

But Colonel Gaius and his subordinates had aspects that made them difficult to treat simply like that.

“Jet is our savior. A hero. We’re so grateful for your help. I won’t forget this favor and will definitely repay it someday.”

Pfft.

Lee Hyeon ended up letting out a chuckle.

This was the reason.

Why he could never hate them.

“You can forget it, so please be careful until the end.”

Lee Hyeon extended his hand.

Colonel Gaius grinned and grasped his hand.

“Thank you.”

“Please take care of backstabbing the Sima Society.”

“Haha. That’s what we do best.”

When he smiled like this, he really did seem like a Maein.

“Then please be careful. Next time we meet, we’ll meet as enemies.”

Colonel Gaius broke out in a cold sweat.

“…Haha. You shouldn’t casually say such frightening things. Just imagining it sends chills down my spine… Anyway, let’s meet again next time.”

Colonel Gaius withdrew with his subordinates as well as the other Mains. At the end, he even exchanged a heartfelt embrace with Captain Aesion.

Promising to meet again someday, though they didn’t know when that would be.

“Now everyone, return to the main force!”

The unit moved at Logan’s shouted command.

* * *

Thud thud thud thud!

The sound of helicopter propeller turbines spinning rapidly.

The withdrawal had begun.

A large number of helicopters carrying all the survivor groups moved toward the garrison base.

A base assembled from desert sand, steel grating, and concrete blocks.

The moment the group saw their destination through the window after their long journey, they finally released all their remaining tension.

“Ahhhhh!”

“I can shower now, right? I can, right?”

“Stop clinging to me saying you can. You reek of sweat right now!?”

“I just want one beer! Just one cold one!!”

Of course, various procedures still remained like writing post-mission reports, vital checks, casualty classification, and testing for radiation and chemical contamination,

but the group’s faces were already filled with bright smiles.

‘…Here, right here.’

In contrast, Lee Hyeon’s eyes had already sunk deep again.

Unlike his comrades who could rest, he had to prepare for yet another battle here.

Just then,

Tap!

A hand touched Lee Hyeon’s shoulder from behind.

When he turned around, Logan was giving him a thumbs up.

“…?”

“Don’t worry too much, Bro.”

This emotional American was already treating Lee Hyeon like a real brother.

Had Zhu Bajie said many good things about him?

‘He even introduced himself as Zhu Bajie’s closest friend.’

Thanks to that, Lee Hyeon was able to quickly grow close to him.

“If those bastards annoy you too much, just tell me anytime. I’ll charge right at them. You know how scary American yak horns can be, right?”

It seemed he looked tense.

Though that wasn’t really the case,

Lee Hyeon was truly grateful for Logan’s kindness.

“Just your words are enough, thank you.”

Logan was very honest and not political like other top rankers.

Throughout the helicopter ride, Logan briefly explained why Lu Wucheng and Rudranath had come.

-China’s Central Hero Committee and India’s Psychic Monitoring Bureau have currently declared participation in the UN Multinational Peacekeeping Force and dispatched troops. Lu Wucheng and Rudranath came here as representatives.

-The justification is ‘to prepare countermeasures for U.C.O. which has great potential to escalate into a Second South African Crisis.’

-Of course, it’s obviously nonsense to anyone who looks at it, right? Their purpose is very simple.

-They came to see you, Jet.

-Why are they looking for you? Surely you’re not asking because you don’t know?

-Obviously they want to test you.

-Whether you know about the research institute or not, and if you do, how much you know.

-And whether there’s anything that could harm them.

Fortunately, Logan already knew about the research institute’s existence.

Probably Zhu Bajie had given him a heads up as Astra’s director.

-You’re the first person to eliminate the Sima Society on the Middle East Front and even get your hands on the research institute.

-You also witnessed U.C.O. from the closest distance.

And then he added:

-So… never show any weakness. They’ll try to tear you apart somehow.

The fact that two top rankers were targeting him.

When he heard that story, ordinary people would have no choice but to be extremely tense,

Thump thump thump thump-

Lee Hyeon’s heart began beating rapidly instead.

Because it seemed like it would be interesting.

‘I’m certain. Both China and India… are looking for the ‘leash’.’

Truly incredible intelligence gathering.

They were already guessing about the research institute’s results.

‘I wonder what reaction they’d show if they knew I really have the leash?’

As Lee Hyeon’s lips twisted strangely,

[Bull Demon King warns you not to think about playing around with precious treasures.]

‘Don’t worry. I’m just thinking of using it a little.’

[Bull Demon King, who has already been tricked by you several times, looks at you with suspicious eyes.]

While Lee Hyeon was organizing his thoughts,

to Logan’s eyes, it seemed like Lee Hyeon was treating his words as a joke.

“I’m not joking, Bro? They’re already acting like this, but when we reach the surface? What will they do to you then?”

Logan pointed upward with his index finger.

But what he was pointing at wasn’t the helicopter’s ceiling.

[Two unidentifiable gazes are staring directly at you.]

[They are observing you from afar.]

From the Temple of Bel to this place, two gazes had been following Lee Hyeon the entire time.

Those gazes Logan had warned him to be careful of when they first met.

They were extremely persistent.

As if they intended to monitor his every move.

Skills that only demigods approaching the threshold of godhood could pull off.

However,

the more this happened, the more Lee Hyeon’s body itched with excitement.

“Those guys will pounce on you very persistently from the moment you set foot in the base. So stay alert. Don’t let them tear you apart. Just stick close to me. Got it?”

But to Logan’s eyes, Lee Hyeon still looked as precarious as a lantern flame before the wind.

He was subtly telling him not to get caught if he had the leash.

So Lee Hyeon smiled even more silently.

“This isn’t the time to just smile like that!”

Logan pounded his chest with his fists as if he was frustrated.

Lee Hyeon now found himself really liking this person.

“Logan.”

“What is it!”

“Would you like to make a bet with me?”

“…A bet?”

A sudden, out-of-the-blue question that Lee Hyeon had blurted out.

Just as Logan narrowed his brows and was about to ask what he was thinking,

“We’ve arrived!”

Right then, the helicopter arrived at the landing pad and the turbine noise began to weaken as the door swung wide open.

Whirrrr!

“Welcome, my friend! Do you know how eagerly I’ve been waiting with my neck craned for your arrival?”

A familiar face beamed brightly as he welcomed Lee Hyeon.

ASTRA’s Director, Kairav.

It was Zhu Bajie.

Before stepping out of the helicopter, Lee Hyeon turned back to Logan and said.

“Yes. A bet. Whether my head gets cracked first, or their heads get cracked first.”

“…!?”

Logan’s eyes widened in shock.

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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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