Broken Ranker Devours Myths - Chapter 58

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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 58

Z Team (5)

 

 

 

The Monkey Soldiers soon took Lee Hyeon and exited through an entrance located on the opposite side of the cave.

At that moment,

“……”

“Kekeke! Indeed, this place is a spectacular sight every time I see it!”

‘The place visible from outside was already amazing… but here,’

“It’s on a different level, right?”

‘Yes. It seems that way.’

“Kekekeke. Senior Brother Wuneng and I were also amazed when we first visited this place. We asked why he was monopolizing such a wonderful thing all by himself, and Senior Brother Wuneng even lay down flat on the ground.”

Sha Wujing’s shoulders swelled with pride as if it were his own territory.

The world on the opposite side of the cave was indeed a new paradise.

A pleasant spring breeze blew, and with every step, the fragrance of flowers wafted up.

Moreover, the sight was so delightful.

Colorful flower buds, lush green mountain slopes, and snow-capped peaks with white roofs as the backdrop.

It was nothing short of a utopia.

 

[Fatigue is rapidly relieving. Your condition is recovering.]

[Fatigue: 30]

[Current Status: Euphoria.]

 

There were hardly any buildings on the ground.

Instead, various buildings were ‘hanging’ from large trees here and there.

Monkeys in various attire busily moved around the vicinity.

However,

‘They all look happy.’

Their faces showed no signs of being pressed for time like modern people.

Sha Wujing nodded.

“Because they lack nothing. Here, you can obtain anything.”

Indeed, there were more monkeys sprawled out yawning in various places than busy ones.

A sight free of worries or concerns.

If heaven existed, it would be exactly like this place.

“……”

However, Son Wukong, who had fallen silent again, remained speechless until then.

“Are you trying to spy, human? You won’t be able to find out anything even if you do!”

Despite being only half of Lee Hyeon’s height, the spear-wielding Monkey Soldier didn’t seem afraid of Lee Hyeon at all.

Solid armor and disciplined gait. A crossbow on his back and various types of swords hanging from his waist.

He looked more like a warrior than a soldier.

This was the one who had first shot poison arrows when Lee Hyeon first landed at the entrance of the Water Curtain Cave.

So there seemed to be a hierarchy.

But in fact, the other Monkey Soldiers didn’t differ much in their attire from him.

It meant each one was worth a hundred men.

‘Well, that’s why they can claim to be the Great Sage’s army.’

But why were they showing such hostility toward Son Wukong?

“I was just surprised.”

“Surprised? By what? Is it strange that we live like you humans?”

“What’s so remarkable about forming a society like humans? Rather, I was surprised because you all look happy.”

“Why is that surprising? Isn’t life originally meant to be happy?”

“Yes. That’s the right answer, but human society is mostly not like that.”

At Lee Hyeon’s bitter smile, the Monkey Soldier tilted his head with a face that showed he didn’t understand.

“Come to think of it, when I occasionally go down the mountain on business, most of the human villages I encounter are in shambles.”

“……”

“There are many poor humans who can’t even eat properly, and I’ve even seen parents who devour their own children.”

A sneer formed at the corner of the Monkey Soldier’s mouth.

“At the time, I thought it was because of some great disaster, but it wasn’t actually that, was it? Is it the fault of the rulers?”

Lee Hyeon still said nothing.

“Then don’t compare facts that only apply to you humans to us. Our Great King is on a different level from such rulers.”

The Monkey Soldier’s shoulders swelled with strength.

“How is he different?”

“Can’t you see even after looking, human? Among the people he rules, there isn’t a single unhappy subject!”

His voice gradually grew louder.

“Everyone works fairly and shares fairly. Everything is abundant, so there’s no need to be greedy. All of this is thanks to the Great King’s grace.”

Thump!

The Monkey Soldier struck the ground with his spear shaft and asked.

“Human, have you ever seen an unhappy animal while climbing the mountain? Or have you seen any place that wasn’t peaceful?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Not ‘don’t think so’ – there weren’t any. That’s also because it’s territory touched by the Great King’s hand.”

“……”

“We too once had poor times. Times when everyone was exploited and barely survived eating only tree bark and grass roots.”

The Monkey Soldier twisted his lips.

“But after the Great King came to this mountain, all such worries disappeared. Do you understand, human?”

Even though it was just a casual probe,

The Monkey Soldier explained things related to them with spittle flying.

‘A Great King who brought happiness and peace.’

It felt like seeing a savior from a fairy tale.

But one fact was certain.

‘The Great King they speak of is not Son Wukong.’

He was curious about who it was.

“May I ask the name of the Great King you serve?”

“It’s not a name to mention to you humans, especially to you who reeks terribly of the Macaque King who abandoned and left us,”

The Monkey Soldier snorted lightly.

“But since the Great King said he would see you, I’ll specially tell you. Just make sure you never make a mistake in front of him.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“His name is ‘Sahun’.”

The soldier’s voice was filled with strength.

“He is one who was once also called the Demon King of Confusion.”

 

* * *

 

The place they arrived at, called the royal palace, was merely hanging on a very large maple tree,

and looked no different from an ordinary building.

But the soldiers maintained strict etiquette.

“Great King, we have brought the prisoner as you commanded.”

“Escort him inside.”

The Monkey Soldier cut the rope binding Lee Hyeon with a dagger.

“You must show proper respect before the Great King, so I’ll cut this. However, just because your body is free doesn’t mean you should do anything foolish,”

“That won’t happen.”

“You speak well. Go inside.”

This meant they were confident they could subdue him even if Lee Hyeon launched a surprise attack.

Indeed, the skills of the soldiers hiding around the palace were formidable.

Most importantly,

the aura emanating from beyond the door was extraordinary.

‘This so-called Great King is already a powerhouse. Much more so than all the other monkeys combined.’

In human terms, a top-tier Ranker.

Even Lee Hyeon couldn’t easily guarantee victory.

Creak!

At that moment, the door opened.

Lee Hyeon entered inside.

 

[You have entered the Boss Room.]

[You have met the master of Flower Fruit Mountain. From now on, defeat him and bring happiness to the mountain’s residents.]

 

A room that wasn’t particularly large.

A man who looked more human than monkey was sitting there.

His deeply sunken black eyes were difficult to read.

‘This person is… Hunse.’

Actually, when Lee Hyeon first heard the name Hunse Demon King, he doubted his own ears.

‘I’ve never heard that the Hunse Demon King had any other real name.’

In Journey to the West, the Hunse Demon King was a minor character who appeared early and died.

He was a demon who plundered Flower Fruit Mountain while Son Wukong was away receiving teachings from Patriarch Subodhi.

But he was soon too easily defeated by Son Wukong when he returned home.

He left no particular impression on readers.

However,

‘This one is different. Is he really the same person?’

Unlike in Journey to the West, here the Hunse Demon King was a wise ruler.

So excellent that he made them resent Son Wukong who had simply left.

This was also why he couldn’t rashly attack even though the new message window told him to achieve victory.

Capturing this guy didn’t seem like it would bring happiness to the monkeys.

What would be the right thing to do in this case?

Lee Hyeon glanced at Son Wukong, but,

「…….」

Son Wukong remained stubbornly silent.

「It seems elder brother is not in the mood to speak. It looks like we must decide among ourselves? What do you think we should do?」

‘I am,’

Sha Wujing asked with a bitter smile.

Just as Lee Hyeon was about to answer,

“That decision you’re talking about – is it okay to discuss it so openly when the subject is right in front of you?”

“……!?”

「Wh, what? Don’t tell me he can see us……!」

“I can see you clearly. Very clearly. I’m not blind. You’re right there in front of me.”

“……!”

「……!!」

The Hunse Demon King showed a faint smile at the corner of his mouth.

Lee Hyeon’s mind suddenly snapped to attention.

First, he politely showed respect.

“……My name is Jang Lee Hyeon.”

“Saheun. It would be better to call me without troublesome titles like Demon King or Great King. More than that,”

The Hunse Demon King waved his hand lightly while smiling more deeply.

“When I heard that a human with the scent of the Monkey King had been discovered, I thought perhaps some foolishly connected human had come to visit,”

Monkey King.

The name Son Wukong gained when he ascended as king of the monkey demons.

“Who would have thought you were a disciple who brought not only the ‘real’ Monkey King, but even his sworn brothers.”

「……Hah!」

「…….」

“I knew such a day would come eventually, but it’s still fascinating to actually encounter it like this.”

Sha Wujing let out a hollow laugh with an expression of disbelief, while Son Wukong maintained his silence.

Until now, no person or demon other than Lee Hyeon, who possessed the Golden Eyes of Truth, had ever directly seen these two divine beings.

Lee Hyeon was curious about how this was possible.

No, there was something else he needed to address first.

“When you referred to him as ‘real’,”

“Are you asking if you know this world is ‘fake’? Or are you asking if you’re aware that the Monkey King before you is a he left behind?”

“……You do know indeed. How exactly do you know this?”

A who recognized that the world they lived in was fake was a phenomenon even the experienced Lee Hyeon was seeing for the first time.

Pfft.

The Hunse Demon King laughed lightly.

“The within that you call dungeons usually cannot perceive their own world. But occasionally, among those who gain great enlightenment or whose consciousness grows to match their world, some recognize this fact and sometimes escape.”

The escape of characters.

Lee Hyeon swallowed dryly.

“But sometimes, really very occasionally, there are those like me who become aware of their existence despite not having such expanded consciousness.”

“……!”

“Beings within fragments left by existences comparable to the universe are often like that.”

The Hunse Demon King’s gaze turned toward Son Wukong.

“I’m the same. A fragment called left behind by a great divine being who built only the most outstanding myths of Great Sage Equal to Heaven and Victorious Fighting Buddha…. I simply awakened there and became aware of this world.”

“……!”

“I’ve been talking too much. Is it because I’m meeting someone from the ‘outside’ after such a long time?”

Lee Hyeon’s eyes widened slightly.

“Are you saying other Outsiders besides us have come here before?”

The monkey village that could only be reached by passing through the Water Curtain Cave of Flower Fruit Mountain was a kind of hidden stage.

It was a place that had never been discovered despite numerous conquest attempts.

Because you needed a ‘key’ like the Golden Eyes of Truth to access it… but someone else had been here before?

“Well.”

But the Hunse Demon King seemed to find Lee Hyeon’s reaction amusing, only showing an enigmatic smile while resting his chin on his hand.

Lee Hyeon took a deep breath.

As his heated head cooled down, the situation became clearer.

“Then the name ‘Saheun’ that you gave yourself,”

“Abandon (捨), trace (痕). I gave myself this name thinking to abandon old traces and awaken anew.”

The Hunse Demon King twisted one corner of his mouth.

“When you think about it, the being who is my true original form died long ago at the hands of the fragment’s owner, and the me here is nothing more than a remnant of the brief demon he remembers.”

“……”

“Probably I’m not the only one who has experienced this?”

Lee Hyeon recalled the masters of fragments he had met before from the self-deprecating tone in the Hunse Demon King’s voice.

 

-You! The one who trapped me…!

 

Yellow Wind Monster too,

 

-Son Wukong… descendant… because of you…

 

White Bone Spirit too,

 

-I… resent you all.

 

Even the serpent of Seven Absolutes Mountain that he had recently encountered.

All of them had always shown similar reactions at the end.

At the time, he had thought it was the resistance of boss mobs who didn’t want to die.

But what if it wasn’t that, but rather them becoming aware of their own existence and resenting Son Wukong and his apostle Lee Hyeon?

When he tried to imagine what kind of reaction a person would show upon realizing they were nothing more than a mere phenomenon… it wasn’t easy to picture.

“But even if you resent and worry about such things, nothing will change. I thought about plundering following the original, but I didn’t particularly feel the need to. He’s already a failure.”

“So that’s why you decorated Flower Fruit Mountain so well?”

“Since I decided to start anew anyway, I thought it might be interesting to go against fate like a contrarian. I was also curious about what differences might occur from the original.”

「……」

Son Wukong pressed his lips into an even straighter line.

If this was the Havoc Demon King’s revenge, it had been a great success.

The Havoc Demon King continued speaking in a voice filled with boredom, his body half-reclined in the chair.

“But it seems there was no need for that either. Who would have thought that the original owner who came looking… would be nothing more than a hollow shell like me.”

The Havoc Demon King’s twisted smile grew even wider.

“No, that can’t be called the original owner. Only the ego continues from the Macaque King. In the end, he too is merely a fragment, so I’m rather losing interest.”

The Havoc Demon King, seeming to have lost interest in Son Wukong, turned his gaze back to Lee Hyeon.

He moved his hand toward the great sword that was draped over the back of his chair.

“Now, my entertainment ends here. What will you do now? If you intend to fight me as a boss mob, I’ll gladly oblige.”

The Havoc Demon King spoke calmly, as if he knew the fate he was bound to face.

But precisely because of that,

the existence called the Havoc Demon King felt even more significant to Lee Hyeon.

Without a word, he drew out both axes and gripped them in his hands.

“So that’s your answer. Good.”

The Havoc Demon King kicked away the armrest.

Lee Hyeon shot forward.

Kurrrrung…!!

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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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