Broken Ranker Devours Myths - Chapter 3

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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 3

Guide Lee Hyeon (3)

 

 

 

The raid team was overjoyed the moment they saw the Boss Room decorated like a temple.

Excavating Sacred Relics imbued with divine power was an incredible career achievement.

If they were lucky enough to be chosen by a Sacred Relic?

They could completely turn their lives around.

However,

Lee Hyeon could tell this was a deliberate trick orchestrated by the creator who made this room.

‘This isn’t a temple but a cemetery—specifically a Royal Tomb where a dead king is buried.’

There were three clues that led him to this conclusion.

 

[‘Sacred Relic: Golden Eyes Mirror’ has discovered a hidden in this place through clues identified by its owner, and has succeeded in finding some answers.]

 

[1. Eight Stone Statues Surrounding the Altar]

[The eight stone statues appear to be offering worship to a god, but they are actually in strange prostrated positions with both hands covering their eyes, nose, and mouth.]

[This means they mourn because the king has departed to a place where nothing can be seen, spoken, or heard.]

…

 

[2. Murals Without a God]

[The murals appear to depict achievements honoring a god. But upon closer inspection, no protagonist is drawn in the murals.]

[This contains the meaning of resurrection—that he will soon return and lead them as before.]

[Since gods do not experience death, this means the owner of this space is a mortal king.]

…

 

[3. Brazier Without Offerings]

[Next to the altar where no offerings are placed, a brazier burns.]

[This can be considered a clue honoring the king who will someday be resurrected while praying for eternal life.]

…

 

Solving the riddle was a tremendous achievement.

It meant he had ‘understood’ the dungeon’s owner.

Therefore, the greater the owner’s stature, the greater the reward.

 

[You have glimpsed part of the secret held by .]

[You have interpreted the myth of ■■■■. You gain some karma.]

[Your rank increases.]

[Your rank increases.]

…

[It has been confirmed that ■■■■’s karma is deeply connected to ‘Sacred Relic: Golden Eyes Mirror’.]

[All acquired karma of ■■■■ is absorbed into your body without loss.]

 

Thump! Thump thump thump!

Lee Hyeon’s body had been undergoing constant changes since a moment ago.

The mana circuits frozen by the curse were gradually loosening, and strength was returning to his damaged muscles.

A refreshing feeling he hadn’t experienced in four years.

Though his mana hadn’t fully returned, regaining even part of his vitality was an enormous achievement.

‘With this much… I can even run for a short while.’

 

[You have succeeded in breaking part of the curse that bound your body!]

 

This was proof that this dungeon was deeply connected to the original form of the Golden Eyes Mirror—Son Wukong.

This was why he had to solve the Boss Room’s riddle and meet Son Wukong, the ‘hidden owner.’

‘If all these monkeys are the monkeys from Flower Fruit Mountain who followed Son Wukong in , and Son Wukong himself is buried in this Royal Tomb, then it’s entirely possible.’

The question was why Son Wukong, who clearly became a Buddha in Journey to the West, would have a ‘tomb’…

‘I’ll think about that part later.’

Lee Hyeon organized his thoughts and spoke to Im Won-young.

“Very well. I’ll accept your proposal, Team Leader. However, there are conditions.”

“Please, go ahead.”

“You must absolutely obey my words until the Boss Room strategy is complete.”

Im Won-young nodded.

“Of course. Don’t worry.”

“Then I’ll do whatever it takes to save the remaining people.”

If anyone else had said such words, it would have sounded like bravado.

But somehow, when Lee Hyeon said it, it felt as if it had already happened.

“Please, I’m counting on you.”

Lee Hyeon felt that Im Won-young had a different natural caliber.

No matter how urgent the situation, it’s human nature to be reluctant to give up power once you hold it.

But Im Won-young could judge situations coolly and had the boldness to entrust work to someone he deemed superior.

A temperament different from his own, having lived roughly like a fighting dog his entire life.

He could see White Burn’s bright future.

“Then give it to me. The brooch.”

Lee Hyeon received the brooch Im Won-young handed him.

It was shaped like donkey ears.

 

[Bamboo Forest King’s Ears]

When you tell a secret you don’t want to share with others to the bamboo forest, that secret will only be heard by those you want to hear it.

-Type: Miscellaneous goods.

-Origin: The fairy tale ‘The King Has Donkey Ears’

 

A radio that every White Burn member carries.

Lee Hyeon briefly listened to instructions on how to use it, then brought his mouth close to the brooch.

『Testing, testing, can everyone hear my voice?』

All the Hunters scattered throughout the Boss Room turned their gaze toward where Lee Hyeon and Im Won-young were.

Only then did they realize that Lee Hyeon was armed with firearms.

『…We can hear you.』

『We can hear you.』

『We can hear you.』

Lee Hyeon spoke.

『I have just received command authority from the Team Leader. From now on, move according to my instructions. The slightest hesitation could lead to your comrades’ deaths. Please respond with “Order confirmed” uniformly.』

The Hunters looked to Im Won-young for confirmation.

She nodded, telling them to follow.

Soon an answer came back.

『Command confirmed.』

『Command confirmed.』

『Then given the situation, I’ll skip the formal speech from now on.』

In that moment, old memories flashed through Lee Hyeon’s mind.

Four years ago when he was running operation missions with his comrades.

『If you all look around, you’ll see white cloth hanging everywhere.』

The Hunters quickly surveyed their surroundings.

Indeed, white cloth was tied to stone monuments and statues throughout the area.

『When I give the signal, run with all your might to wherever the white cloth is hanging. And cover your heads with the cloth.』

Signal?

Just as questions appeared on all the Hunters’ faces,

Lee Hyeon threw a flash grenade from his right belt high into the sky.

Whiiing!

“…!”

“…!!”

The entire world turned white.

The Hunters felt momentarily blinded, but without hesitation they ran to their respective marked positions.

Thud!

These were movements possible because they had experienced various curses during group training at White Burn.

On the other hand, the monkeys were different.

Ukiki!

Uki!

Since this was their first time experiencing such a flash, they couldn’t help but panic,

 

[The ‘Sacred Relic: Golden Eyes Mirror’ transforms through the acquired karma of ■■■■. A new function is added.]

[Additional Function: Weakness Detection.]

[‘Sacred Relic: Golden Eyes Mirror’ begins identifying enemy weaknesses!]

 

Lee Hyeon aimed for precisely that moment.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Bullets he had personally crafted by mixing silver pierced through the foreheads of the Monkey Soldiers.

If he could hit all the weak points that the Golden Eyes Mirror showed him, he could certainly fulfill the role of one Hunter.

Of course, his standard for one person’s worth was based on the Thunder Unit.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The muzzle spat fire without rest. Each time the loud roar erupted despite the silencer, Monkey Soldiers’ heads burst one after another.

‘The firepower is this powerful!?’

‘Wh-what kind of magic did he use…?’

The Hunters gaped as they watched monkeys continuously falling behind them while running forward.

Most Hunters typically used cold weapons that were good for channeling mana,

but Lee Hyeon was overturning that too easily.

Baang!

Meanwhile, the Hunters were able to reach their destination without major damage,

and the moment they tore off the white cloth and covered their heads as ordered, they understood why Lee Hyeon had given such a command.

 

[White Cloth Marked with Swastika Talisman]

Contains shamanic meaning to ward off evil. Sometimes used to cover corpses during funeral processions.

Upon covering, one is recognized as deceased.

 

‘Recognized as deceased…!’

‘Then this place isn’t a temple but a tomb!’

‘That means these monkeys are like tomb guardians protecting the grave…’

‘Wait, that means?’

The experienced Hunters looked back at the Monkey Soldiers that had been chasing them.

Then the Monkey Soldiers hesitated.

They showed signs of confusion as if they suddenly couldn’t perceive the Hunters.

‘They can’t find us!’

Bang!

Another Monkey Soldier’s head exploded.

‘How did he figure this out!?’

‘In such a short time…!’

Lee Hyeon wasn’t just good at finding paths. He possessed both intuition and insight to find the ‘correct answer.’

 

[Congratulations! You have successfully solved the first riddle.]

[From now on, you are priests assisting the ritual of the Royal Tomb. Complete the ritual.]

 

A phrase discovered in the message.

‘Ritual!’

The secret of the Boss Room was finally revealed.

Just as everyone’s eyes widened,

『If you’ve put on the white cloth, then next…!』

Additional commands were heard.

Movement orders to form groups of three and move to specific positions by team.

Just as the Hunters were about to perk up their ears,

Ukiiiii!

With an angry monkey’s cry, as many as five Ancient Chariots charged forward.

Thud-thud-thud-

They targeted Lee Hyeon, who hadn’t yet covered himself with white cloth.

They seemed determined not to let the instigator of this situation go.

『Danger…!』

『Do not leave your designated positions. I repeat. Do not leave your designated positions.』

The Hunters flinched, but Lee Hyeon remained calm.

His eyes now glowed entirely golden without distinction between pupils and whites.

Evidence that Son Wukong’s karma gained from solving the riddle was evolving the Golden Eyes Mirror moment by moment.

 

[You occupied 98% of the conquest share for the first riddle. You have acquired a considerable amount of ■■■■’s karma.]

[Some of the locked functions of ‘Sacred Relic: Golden Eyes Mirror’ have been unlocked. Performance has greatly increased.]

[Your body’s movements become slightly more agile!]

 

Ukiki!

Then one of the chariots rushed toward him. It seemed to intend to trample Lee Hyeon with hooves from the front.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

But Lee Hyeon calmly pulled the trigger,

and three horse heads shattered in succession, causing the chariot to overturn.

Right then, Lee Hyeon moved. He threw his gun far onto the ground while leaping high.

Horse corpses and the chariot barely swept past where he had been standing. Lee Hyeon somersaulted over them and landed in front of a Monkey Warrior.

Ukiii!

The Monkey Warrior thrust his sword toward him with a furious expression,

and Lee Hyeon simultaneously drew the Kukri from his left belt with his right hand and struck down while falling.

Movement so agile it was almost acrobatic.

Slash!

The kukri not only cut through the Monkey Warrior’s sword, but also sliced diagonally through its neck in one swift motion.

It was the result of using the Golden Eyes of Truth to precisely identify the strike point before delivering the blow.

Whoooosh!

The warrior’s head flew off as blood spurted up like a fountain.

At the same time, Lee Hyeon brought his left hand to the Glock 26 pistol hanging in the shoulder holster at his chest.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The eyeballs of the other Monkey Warriors burst simultaneously.

No matter how tough-skinned and resilient a monster might be, their eyes couldn’t be that tough.

In an instant, the masterless chariots overturned everywhere, creating chaos.

“…!”

“…!”

“…!”

A situation that made absolutely no sense.

The Hunters now stood with their mouths agape.

‘T-that kind of action is possible…?’

‘No, are those really movements someone without mana can show? With one leg not even in good condition… What kind of training would it take…!’

Im Won-young, who had actually requested the command, was equally surprised.

Even as a Ranker, he couldn’t be confident he could display such overwhelming skill.

‘This is Blue Thunder’s last leader, Jet…!’

Im Won-young unconsciously clenched his fist.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Whether it was from witnessing a legend before his eyes, or from the heat of the battlefield,

somehow his heart was racing wildly. His face had also turned red.

It was the same for the other Hunters.

Lee Hyeon approached the nearest war chariot.

There was white cloth tied there as well. However, the cloth was a murky red color from the dead warrior’s blood and dust.

Lee Hyeon untied it and draped it over his shoulders.

Flutter!

The wind blew.

 

[You are now the priest who oversees the ritual. Complete the ritual and meet the hidden master.]

 

“…”

“…”

“…”

Lee Hyeon’s breathtaking presence filled the Boss Room.

‘I’ve arrived. Now, right here in this very place,’

Lee Hyeon’s golden eyes gleamed.

‘I will summon Son Wukong.’

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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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