Broken Ranker Devours Myths - Chapter 45

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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 45

House Robbery (3)

 

 

 

“How’s your body feeling now?”

Go Jin-woo was moving his wrist around when he saw Lee Gun-san and stood up from his seat.

“I’m completely fine now. Thanks to you, General. I’m truly grateful.”

Even during the torture, Go Jin-woo hadn’t expected to survive.

Even if he lived, he had given up on his medical career.

His hands had been too badly damaged.

But in just a few days, he had recovered this much.

“What did I do? It’s all thanks to my wife and Captain Jang.”

Captain Jang.

Go Jin-woo let out a hollow laugh hearing Lee Hyeon’s old title after so long.

Actually, he had fragmented memories of what happened at the Black Market.

How Lee Hyeon had faced the enemies with such fury…

“Are you angry at Captain Jang?”

“Yes. I’m angry.”

“What happened to you…”

“It’s not because of what I suffered. I’m angry that he could have been in danger by recklessly coming to save me. How embarrassing would it be if we were both captured? And I’m supposed to be Jet.”

Lee Gun-san laughed.

Even after the unit was disbanded, Blue Thunder remained the same.

“So that’s why you’re lounging around here even though you’re fully recovered?”

Go Jin-woo looked around nervously, unlike his usual self.

“Am I making you uncomfortable…?”

“Haha. Not at all. As you know, my wife and I don’t have children, right? So when guests like you come and stay for several days, it changes the atmosphere and makes us feel good.”

“Phew. That’s a relief. I thought I was being a burden.”

“For someone saying that, you don’t seem to have any plans to leave anytime soon? Don’t you need to return to the hospital?”

Lee Gun-san asked with a playful smile.

Go Jin-woo scratched his cheek.

“You’re still the same, General. You seem to already know what kind of favor I’m going to ask.”

“I wouldn’t know unless you tell me directly, would I?”

Go Jin-woo scratched the back of his head for a while.

Lee Gun-san waited for him to organize his thoughts.

And then,

“I stopped by the hospital this morning and submitted my resignation letter.”

Go Jin-woo looked at Lee Gun-san with a serious expression.

The corners of Lee Gun-san’s mouth curved upward.

“Would it be alright if I impose on you for a while, General, even if it’s just menial work? I’d like to help with the research and plans you’re working on.”

“What do you think I’m doing?”

“Analysis of the Snow Queen and research on the egg, isn’t it? I have stakes in both, so I think I could be of help.”

Lee Gun-san nodded.

“And?”

“I’d also like to help with the Thunder Unit restoration plan you’re planning.”

A bombshell declaration that would have shocked Lee Hyeon if he had heard it.

But Lee Gun-san just kept smiling.

Go Jin-woo continued speaking.

“You’re still maintaining contact with the existing unit members, aren’t you? Even after the unit was disbanded and they scattered to key military positions or other units. Isn’t that right?”

Even though the Thunder Unit was disbanded after the Gangneung incident, not all members had been discharged.

Most had actually remained.

Their achievements were recognized, and many had been promoted several ranks.

This was why Lee Gun-san could still gather extensive information and wield tremendous influence across society even after taking off his military uniform.

“Now, how can you package it like that? I just exchange occasional greetings with my old subordinates. If that gets twisted the wrong way, it becomes privatization of military forces! That’s immediate execution!”

“For someone who fears such things, your bunker was too elaborate, General.”

“Haha. I can’t show you anything, can I?”

“Didn’t you show Lee Hyeon the bunker because you wanted to reveal even a little of your intentions, General?”

“Are you going to push it that way too?”

“I apologize if I made assumptions that crossed the line.”

Go Jin-woo bowed his waist respectfully.

“But I still can’t forget. The moment when you were unjustly driven to political responsibility and had to take off your military uniform.”

“……”

“And your efforts to protect Lee Hyeon somehow… I remember it all vividly.”

Lee Gun-san quietly closed his eyes.

And then a moment of silence followed.

“Captain Jang doesn’t know about what happened back then, right?”

“No. He doesn’t know. He just thinks you got sick of the military and stormed out.”

“That’s fortunate.”

Lee Gun-san thought it was fortunate that he had started quitting smoking.

Otherwise, he would have gone through several packs by now.

“…Blue Thunder wasn’t a place that could be torn apart by simple political reasons alone.”

“The great nations’ double standards aren’t new, are they?”

“The problem is all those politicians who get swayed by them at will.”

A conversation suggesting that the cause of the Thunder Unit’s disbandment wasn’t simply the damage suffered during the Gangneung incident.

But the two men intentionally didn’t delve deeper.

“…Can you really help me?”

Lee Gun-san’s eyes sank deeply.

Go Jin-woo nodded.

“Of course. Actually, it would be more convenient for you to have me help from the side. The core of Blue Thunder is… ultimately Jang Lee Hyeon, that guy.”

“That’s right. Without Captain Jang, how could there be a Blue Jet?”

Even now, when Lee Gun-san closed his eyes, he could recall the blue-white Lightning Storm that had illuminated the world.

He had worked so hard to help him regain that form.

But that kid had solved it himself and returned.

Then and now, he’s really someone who doesn’t accept help from others well.

But now he truly wanted to be of help.

“But are you really okay with this? You left because you hated the military.”

“I left the military, but I still love Blue Thunder. And,”

Go Jin-woo spoke while catching his breath lightly.

“This time Lee Hyeon made such a big fuss because of me, so now I want to make him fuss.”

“What? Pahahahat!”

A completely unexpected answer.

Lee Gun-san burst into hearty laughter, then nodded.

“Good. Please help me well from the side.”

“That’s what I was hoping for.”

Go Jin-woo respectfully grasped the hand that Lee Gun-san extended.

 

* * *

 

-Subject: Jang Lee Hyeon.

-Department: Dungeon Strategy Headquarters Z Team.

-Position: Interim Team Leader.

-Details: Promotion.

Please be informed that this personnel action takes effect today.

 

An announcement suddenly posted on the intranet.

Naturally, many voices arose from the Dungeon Strategy Headquarters.

“Someone who hasn’t even been with the company for a month is already team leader…? Does this make sense?”

“It’s not impossible. If it was promised that he’d come in with team leader-level treatment.”

“Just who is this Jang Lee Hyeon anyway? I’d never even heard of him before he joined.”

“He solved a long-standing unsolved dungeon by himself. So his skills must be recognized.”

“But are those skills really legitimate? Manager Kim was there, and there must have been other team members too.”

“He cracked Team Leader Jeong’s head, so it must be real.”

“Wow… I don’t like my current team leader either. Should I crack his head and sit in his place?”

Complaints about fairness were also mixed in here and there,

“Executive Director Jeong’s insides must be boiling furiously.”

“Even so, lately when you go into the board meetings, there’s a cold wind blowing.”

“Well, he’s someone who handled work even during his son’s four-day funeral… It can only be seen as Deputy General Manager Im being too openly confrontational.”

“Exactly. He’s trying to bring Z Team into his fold. How noisy will it get this time.”

“This time he’s gone too far. Even though it’s called ‘interim’… how is he planning to break through?”

“Right. Executive Director Jeong isn’t someone who’s that easygoing.”

There were also voices showing anxiety about internal political conflicts.

Then, an hour later, a new notice was posted on the intranet.

 

-Target: Dungeon Strategy Headquarters Z Team.

-Mission: Item curse disposal.

-Details: Curse resolution and handling of the dagger ‘Brutus’s Dagger’.

 

After seeing that content, many people let out hollow laughs.

“Wow, this is just openly telling them to die, isn’t it?”

“Right. It seems like Executive Director Jeong has decided to draw his sword.”

“How are they really supposed to handle this? All the Z Team kids will be crying.”

“If you don’t want to do it, get out.”

Brutus.

An ancient Roman politician and soldier. And a historical figure who led the assassination of Julius Caesar, who had regarded him like a son, and plunged a dagger into his heart.

A dagger known to have been used by him had been excavated by White Burn two years ago.

And it was almost abandoned.

‘Because the dagger craved too much blood. Especially to the point of harming its owner and surrounding colleagues.’

It even cast vampiric curses on nearby people and drained their stamina without even being touched.

Because of this, while transporting Brutus’s Dagger, despite being thoroughly sealed, the Hunters who participated in the escort mission ended up hospitalized for over a month.

That’s why it was also graded SS.

There was much debate at White Burn about whether this item should be disposed of, but they couldn’t bring themselves to do it.

This was because among the item’s effects was a buff that amplified abilities in proportion to the stamina drained.

So quite many team leaders and Rankers from White Burn ambitiously took it on,

‘And they all ended up being carried to the emergency room.’

The buff was good, but Hunters don’t run dungeons 24 hours a day, right?

But Brutus’s Dagger always wanted blood.

This was exactly the problem.

‘In the end, it was forcibly sent to underground storage after that… I heard they’re now only supplying animal blood just enough to maintain the item.’

Lee Hyeon had a hard time suppressing his lips that kept twitching without any sense.

‘And that’s being given to me?’

While the mission content was curse disposal, it actually meant to keep carrying it around until the curse was resolved.

There was no separate time limit specified either.

Of course, with curse immunity, it posed no real threat to Lee Hyeon,

but he didn’t particularly show it outwardly.

“Are you really going to be okay?”

“With what?”

“You’re not really asking because you don’t know, are you?”

Kim Min-jeong frowned as she heard people whispering.

“The team members aren’t even coming because of this case.”

“That’s right. Everyone must be busy writing strategy reports, but they’re away from their seats without even reporting to the team leader. Can’t this be reflected in their evaluations?”

Even though work hours had long passed, Z Team’s seats were still completely empty.

“It’s possible, but… their reaction is that what does it matter since they’ll be kicked out or die soon anyway.”

“Really?”

Kim Min-jeong found Lee Hyeon’s nonchalant response somewhat annoying.

‘What is he really planning to do? It’s not like he doesn’t know that all the team members were called by Executive Director Jeong…’

Executive Director Jeong was openly pressuring Lee Hyeon.

Following the Brutus Dagger disposal, even the team members’ boycott.

In fact, while Lee Hyeon was under disciplinary action, Executive Director Jeong met with each Z Team member individually to win them over to his side.

The approach was that he’d let the matter about his son slide and would take good care of company matters for them going forward.

It was blatant side-taking.

On top of this, Lee Hyeon was suddenly appointed team leader over them, and even received the Brutus Dagger mission, so their thoughts must have completely changed.

Even from Kim Min-jeong’s perspective, this personnel action was Im Won-young’s overreach.

So she thought the personnel announcement should be canceled even now, but,

“Ah.”

Suddenly, Kim Min-jeong gained realization from Lee Hyeon’s smile.

“This… isn’t Team Leader Im’s plan, but senior’s design, right?”

“Who knows.”

Still an evasive answer.

But Kim Min-jeong was certain.

“Right… It was senior. Of course. What was I worrying about for nothing…”

Kim Min-jeong felt the time she’d spent anxiously worrying alone for the past five days was too precious to waste.

“If senior was the one who requested the team leader position… as expected. Are you doing this to clean up the team all at once?”

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Senior!”

Kim Min-jeong unconsciously let out a shriek.

Other people’s gazes turned this way, but Kim Min-jeong was still glaring fiercely.

Pfft.

Lee Hyeon chuckled lightly and took her into an empty conference room.

“Your guess is correct. I personally asked Deputy General Manager Im for this.”

Five days ago, after the meeting with Executive Director Jeong ended. Lee Hyeon immediately called Im Won-young.

He contacted him saying that while he’d received such a proposal from Executive Director Jeong, he still wanted to work with him.

And he also added one suggestion.

 

-The fact that you made such a proposal directly to me shows you underestimated me. So let me tell you this – if you’re planning to take down Executive Director Jeong, lend me a hand.

 

Im Won-young listened to everything and felt Lee Hyeon’s plan was absurd, but,

 

-It might be a political risk for me too…… but I’ll trust Section Chief Jang and leave it to you.

 

He decided to trust Lee Hyeon and proceed with the plan.

And,

the result was today.

‘I thought it would take at least a week…… That person really is impatient.’

Thanks to this, Lee Hyeon could proceed with his work faster than expected.

‘Thanks to Executive Director Jeong, I got good items too.’

“If we’re going to clean house anyway, it’s better to sweep everything out cleanly. But there’s no need for me to take the blame. I can even get a team leader position out of this – killing two birds with one stone.”

Kim Min-jeong let out a hollow laugh and shook her head.

“You’re planning to start completely fresh.”

“I felt it clearly during the previous raid. The current Z Team has too many useless personnel. I’m thinking of cutting everyone except three.”

“Is that all you thought about during your disciplinary period?”

“That’s right.”

“I’ll be included in those three, so two others remain. Who are they?”

“Why do you think you wouldn’t be included?”

“Then you’ll cut me?”

When Kim Min-jeong glared at him again, Lee Hyeon raised both hands.

“No way. What use would Jet be without his right arm?”

“You say things you don’t mean so well…… Anyway, who are the two people you’re keeping?”

“These people.”

Lee Hyeon pointed to two people in turn on the Z Team organization chart hanging on the wall.

 

-Chief Seo Ae-ri.

-Manager Eom Ki-seon.

 

At that moment, Kim Min-jeong’s brow furrowed deeply and obviously.

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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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