Broken Ranker Devours Myths - Chapter 7

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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 7

Temporary Apostle (2)

 

 

 

Lee Hyeon applied for leave from the hospital.

The hospital tried to dissuade him, saying the tests weren’t finished yet, but Lee Hyeon was so stubborn that he could only get out with Go Jin-woo’s guarantee.

「You have a good friend, don’t you?」

“He’s one of the few connections Suchan hyung left behind. He was closest to hyung.”

「Hmm.」

Son Wukong seemed to be mulling over the name of the person who had almost become his apostle.

It was impossible to know what he was thinking.

“By the way, Great Sage, you’re completely invisible to other people?”

In fact, when Lee Hyeon brought Son Wukong out, what worried him most was Son Wukong himself.

He might be used to it now, but if a white monkey started talking in front of other people, they would be terrified.

But fortunately, Son Wukong was completely invisible to anyone other than Lee Hyeon.

「They lack the connection.」

“You mean they have no contact points with the Great Sage?”

「That’s right. Normally, you shouldn’t be able to see me either, but you’ve taken quite a lot of my karma and even possess the [Eyes], so you can see me. You also presided over the ritual to summon me.」

As it turned out later, serving as a priest at the Royal Tomb was also a great help in being appointed as a temporary apostle.

Lee Hyeon had essentially created and connected a bond with Son Wukong that didn’t originally exist.

「But where exactly are we going? This isn’t the direction where my myth is located.」

“I’d like to stop by Jongno 3-ga first.”

「What’s there?」

“My alter ego.”

「…?」

Son Wukong tilted his head.

“Here it is.”

Then he saw where Lee Hyeon got off and his eyes sparkled.

「A blacksmith shop?」

“It’s a hardware store.”

Son Wukong was also a martial god who pursued his own martial way.

Naturally, he was interested in various weapons.

Moreover, in this era when all kinds of myths and legends began rampaging again in the form of dungeons, various types of weapons poured out with the reinterpretation of modern civilization added.

「Then, this alter ego of yours is what you originally used…?」

“Yes. It’s my weapon. Since I’ve regained my mana, I thought I might be able to use it again.”

「Oh?」

“I did get the Ruyi Jingu Bang, but right now I can’t actually use it as a weapon.”

「Ha! That’s true in its own way, isn’t it? Well, you haven’t become an official apostle yet. You need a weapon to use until then, right?」

Currently, the only functions available for the Ruyi Jingu Bang were [Super Recovery] and [Metabolism Regulation].

Of course, even these alone could be considered tremendous abilities, but considering the true power of the Ruyi Jingu Bang, they were just fragmentary functions.

So a real weapon was needed.

The weapon that Jet had used.

‘A weapon… I wonder what kind will appear?’

The Lee Hyeon that Son Wukong had observed so far was a hunter with excellent senses.

His weapon handling skills seemed quite good too, so he became quite curious about what type he had used.

‘It should match well with that strange lightning technique called Dueopshini or whatever.’

Son Wukong smiled as he recalled Lee Hyeon’s mana, which had the nature of lightning but gave off a damp and sharp feeling like a shadow.

“Excuse me.”

Lee Hyeon entered the most shabby-looking of several hardware stores.

A place without even a proper sign.

However,

Whoosh!

The moment he opened the thick iron door and entered, hot wind swept past Lee Hyeon.

There was an old man with copper-colored skin hammering iron.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Even when a customer came, he was so focused on his ironwork that he paid no attention to this side.

“Old man, I came to pick up something I left here before.”

Clang! Clang!

“Should I find it myself?”

Clang! Clang!

“Excuse me.”

Claaang! Claaang!

Without even listening to the old man’s answer, Lee Hyeon walked toward the warehouse set up in one corner.

「…What is that human?」

Son Wukong exhaled the breath he had been holding only after the hot wind subsided.

「What the hell is he that he’s openly emanating the aura of ‘Taotie’?」

 

[Four Fiends Taotie]

A monster that devours anything and everything indiscriminately. Among all things, it especially loves iron.

The iron it excretes contains a mixture of everything it has consumed, boasting various types and materials.

-Origin: Legend ‘Classic of Mountains and Seas Monster Collection’

 

Through the Golden Eyes of Truth, Son Wukong could glimpse many legends and myths from the old man who had been hammering iron.

He wasn’t just at the level of a simple apostle.

“He was someone who used to make weapons for the unit I was originally in. It should be somewhere around here… Found it.”

Lee Hyeon was able to find one box stuck in a corner among the randomly stacked boxes and piles of hardware.

It was covered in dust, making the name written on the surface hard to read, but it was all too familiar to Lee Hyeon.

Four years ago, he had entrusted it to the old man with tears, saying he would definitely come back for it.

「He was a supplier, that guy? That doesn’t make sense…!」

“Of course, he didn’t make weapons for just anyone. I don’t know the criteria, but he only made them for members who caught his fancy.”

Lee Hyeon’s eyes sparkled as he tore off the tape covering the box.

“And this is the custom item that the old man first made for me back then.”

The moment he opened the box wide, he could see the neatly folded Blue Thunder unit uniform and three hand axes placed on top of it.

Modern-style axes often used in camping.

 

[Taotie’s Fangs]

Axes imbued with the appetite and greed that the Four Fiends Taotie takes pride in. Each axe constantly craves iron, flesh, and blood.

-Type: Axe. One-handed weapon.

-Origin: Folk tale ‘Four Fiends Taotie’

 

「Quite fierce fellows.」

Son Wukong’s eyes widened after checking the history of the three axes.

“Yes. They were made from the beginning to maximize the properties of [Breath of Dueopshini].”

[Taotie’s Fangs] each had names: ‘Iron Devourer’, ‘Flesh Thirster’, and ‘Blood Biter’.

Meaning to devour iron, thirst for flesh, and bite blood.

As cruel as their names suggested, they were made solely for the purpose of slaughter.

So sometimes they even threatened their owner, Lee Hyeon.

But they matched perfectly with [Breath of Dueopshini].

When he swung the hand axes while channeling the skill’s characteristic of growing stronger as suppressed emotions exploded, the result couldn’t help but be destructive.

Pale blue lightning rained down as if to collapse the world.

It was these very weapons that had slaughtered the Snow Queen.

‘Though back then they were badly damaged and the old man had to practically remake them during repairs. Still, their power remains the same.’

Lee Hyeon caressed the hand axes with his hands after so long.

‘No, they’ve actually gotten stronger.’

Despite only touching the blunt spine that had no edge, a cut appeared on Lee Hyeon’s index finger and blood trickled down.

Lee Hyeon put his index finger in his mouth while his eyes sparkled.

‘He brought out the resentment the Snow Queen left on the axes to its fullest.’

Pfft.

Lee Hyeon let out an unconscious chuckle as he put the axes into his bag along with the storage equipment.

“Fortunately, it seems I’ll barely be able to use them.”

「You said you only handled them when you were a Ranker? What if it’s not as easy as you say?」

“Wouldn’t that actually be better?”

「Huh?」

“The more ferocious they are, the faster my skills will return. I’ll always have to stay alert since I never know when they might devour me, so it’ll be good training too.”

「Ha, well I’ll be.」

Son Wukong looked at him as if he was seeing a complete madman, but didn’t say anything more.

After all, a true warrior needed at least that much madness to become even slightly stronger. He himself had been like that once.

“That’s why I didn’t even take any other protective equipment. I think I need to train my body first.”

Lee Hyeon touched various custom items that had symbolized Jet, then closed the box flaps again and pushed it back into place.

‘Someday.’

Inside that box were many items far more vicious or high-level than [Taotie’s Fangs]. There were even Sacred Relics.

But Lee Hyeon didn’t plan to visit this place again until he finished his preparations.

“Old man, I’m leaving.”

Lee Hyeon gave the old man a light farewell and left the blacksmith shop.

Even then, the old man gave no response and only continued hammering.

Clang! Clang!!

 

* * *

 

『This stop is Cheongnyangni, Cheongnyangni Station. The doors will open on…』

Lee Hyeon completely exited the subway station and looked around.

Perhaps because it was a transfer station, many crowds were coming and going everywhere.

“I came because you told me to come, but… is there really a dungeon in a place like this? No matter how I look at it, this doesn’t seem like a place where one would exist?”

When a dungeon occurred, regulations mandated that cleanup operations be conducted within a 1km radius.

No matter how busy the district, there were no exceptions. This was to prevent damage that would occur if a Break happened.

So it was puzzling to hear there was one in such a place.

「Let’s just go see for ourselves and talk about it later. But hey, kid.」

“…?”

「Before going to the test site, let’s check out that place first.」

“…??”

The place Son Wukong pointed to was some fish-shaped pastry food cart.

Lee Hyeon wondered why this guy was suddenly acting like this, but Son Wukong’s gaze toward the fish-shaped pastries was quite serious.

「Let’s see. There are 3 types total. Red bean, cream, sweet potato cheese? Oh, that’s an interesting combination. What are you doing? Hurry up and buy some. One of each flavor! Make sure! Buy 3 of each.」

“You’re going to eat them?”

「Of course?」

Son Wukong looked at Lee Hyeon as if asking what kind of stupid question that was.

Lee Hyeon momentarily wondered what kind of situation this was, but bought the fish-shaped pastries and handed them to Son Wukong.

「I saw these before when you were being carried to the hospital by those White Burn guys or whatever, and the aroma was absolutely amazing. So I was curious. The taste is… ooh.」

Lee Hyeon looked incredulously at Son Wukong, whose eyes sparkled with an expression that said ‘How can such wonderful flavors exist in this world!’

‘Wait, aren’t you a spirit? But how exactly does that go in? And how does digestion work?’

Lee Hyeon shook his head and moved in the direction the Golden Eyes of Truth indicated.

 

[Move west.]

[Move northeast.]

…

 

Following the navigator-like guidance, he arrived at Gyeongdong Market, not far from Cheongnyangni Station.

Specifically, the Herbal Medicine Market located on the eastern side.

The smell of ginseng and various medicinal herbs wafted strongly.

And,

‘A door?’

In the distance, he could see a shabby aluminum door placed between vendor stalls.

Golden light resembling the color of the Ruyi Jingu Bang was seeping out from the rectangular door frame.

‘Is this it?’

Lee Hyeon stood in front of the door and looked around.

Fortunately, it seemed other people couldn’t see this light.

He lightly touched the door handle.

Flash!

The moment the Ruyi Jingu Bang burst with brilliant light, the golden glow flowing from the door frame disappeared.

And,

Click!

Creak-

The door opened with the sound of a lock mechanism releasing.

Lee Hyeon stepped inside before other people could see. Light enveloped him.

Whoosh!

The same sensation as crossing a Gate.

When he opened his eyes again, Lee Hyeon was standing in a new space, not Gyeongdong Market.

‘A dungeon!’

 

[You have entered ‘Instance Dungeon: Yellow Desert’.]

[You have entered a fragment of an incomplete ■■■■.]

[This is a desert where only the winds of death blow, stealing the breath and warmth of life throughout all seasons.]

[Overcome all obstacles and cross the desert to find the Oasis. The sweet water of the Oasis will clear your mind.]

[Upon success: The karma of ■■■■.]

[Upon failure: Death by thirst.]

 

A yellow desert of dark hue stretching along an endless horizon.

The scorching heat and dry wind brought Lee Hyeon’s senses vividly back to life.

“A customized dungeon made just for me, something like that?”

Since he’d never heard of the concept of an Instance Dungeon, it was a natural thought.

「Munch munch, myths are, munch munch, like that, munch munch.」

“Please finish eating first before speaking.”

Son Wukong tossed the tail of the fish-shaped pastry into his mouth as he spoke.

“To be precise, this comes first. The is created based on the of myth I possessed. Once the story’s structure is complete, a [gate] leading to the outside world is formed.”

Son Wukong continued with a mischievous grin.

“For example, you came over by creating a [temporary gate] before the [gate] was even formed. Through your [eyes]. In a way, you could say a dedicated passage suited to you was created.”

Lee Hyeon realized that the [gate] Son Wukong spoke of meant the Gate, which was the entrance and passage into dungeons.

“Then I need to complete the conquest before the story structure is finished. The dungeon mustn’t appear in the outside world.”

“Right. So we need to hurry, don’t we?”

Lee Hyeon nodded quietly. He felt like he had glimpsed secrets of dungeons that hadn’t been revealed to the world.

On the other hand, he thought that when collecting Son Wukong’s myths in the future, he wouldn’t need to worry about interference from others.

As long as it wasn’t a completed dungeon with a gate like the , he could conquer it beforehand.

Of course, when he thought about it the other way around, this also meant he wouldn’t know exactly what the of that dungeon contained.

Nothing was more dangerous than a dungeon whose was unknown.

However,

‘Handling that is the guide’s job.’

Lee Hyeon opened his Golden Eyes of Truth wide.

The mana from Breath of Dueokshini, whose proficiency he had raised all night, seeped into his eyes and dyed them golden.

 

[You begin investigating the dungeon through the mana-enhanced ‘Sacred Relic: Golden Eyes Mirror’.]

[All senses open wide.]

[Beyond sight, synesthesia accepts information from the surrounding world and attempts interpretation.]

 

What Lee Hyeon learned for the first time was that the more mana the Golden Eyes of Truth absorbed, the more it definitely wasn’t limited to just vision.

From sight to hearing, to smell, to touch, to taste, and further to synesthesia encompassing all five senses,

Eventually, it could even open super senses and sixth sense that transcended the five senses.

Since Lee Hyeon already had exceptional [intuition] honed on the battlefield,

Being able to not just connect [intuition] with [eyes] but integrate them was a tremendous achievement.

Thanks to this,

Lee Hyeon could clearly perceive even distant areas beyond his line of sight,

Whoosh!

He could quickly detect sharp teeth flashing through the sandstorm that suddenly blocked his vision.

His response was immediate.

One of Taotie’s Fangs hanging at his waist shot forward.

A throwing speed too fast for the naked eye to follow.

Thunk!

Clang! Clang!

Something bounced roughly through the sandstorm and rolled across the ground.

A human-sized wolf lay dead with a hand axe embedded in its forehead.

‘Wolves move in packs.’

Lee Hyeon reached for his waist again while scanning the surroundings that were still invisible.

The battle had already begun.

“Yellow wolves, annoying bastards to deal with. They keep hiding in sandstorms, making them hard to find.”

Son Wukong was grinning with amusement as he watched the fight from atop Lee Hyeon’s head.

His smirking appearance was a bit irritating, but Lee Hyeon didn’t show it and spoke while surveying the area.

“Yes. They are troublesome. But more importantly, Great Sage.”

“What?”

“With all this sand blowing, are the fish-shaped pastries safe?”

“…!?”

The fish-shaped pastries he had set aside to savor were already covered in sand.

—————
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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