Broken Ranker Devours Myths - Chapter 76

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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 76

Daylight Goblin (1)

 

 

 

Kwarrrrung!

A pillar of fire shot high through the ground.

The Hunters’ faces were filled with tension.

“What the hell is that…!”

“We really almost got into serious trouble.”

“They were trying to feed us something like that?”

While following Im Won-young’s order to immediately evacuate the research facility, they tried to understand what had happened.

What would have happened if they had been even slightly late in getting out.

But the most shocking thing was,

Kwakwakwang!!

Urrrrr-

“…Team Leader Jang?”

“Executive Director Jeong is there too!”

“But Team Leader Jang’s axe is in Executive Director Jeong’s shoulder…!”

It was the sight of Lee Hyeon shooting up into the sky following the pillar of fire one beat later, and Executive Director Jeong chasing after him.

Lee Hyeon appeared first.

He appeared as if bouncing up after hitting something hard, his clothes almost completely torn, with severe scars remaining on his abdomen.

The moment Executive Director Jeong was hit by Dueoksini’s Rage, he had responded by driving a fist strike into his abdomen.

Executive Director Jeong was originally a natural-born fighter as well.

But Lee Hyeon’s eyes were still fierce, not looking like someone who had been injured.

Lee Hyeon flipped his body in mid-air and stretched both hands left and right.

Then the two axes that had been hovering around were instantly drawn into his hands.

Swaeeeeek-

Executive Director Jeong, who was chasing behind, displayed a bizarre appearance of bleeding black pus instead of blood, with an axe embedded in his right shoulder.

 

[Attempting Bull Charge of Fury Strike (S)!]

[The myth ‘Master of Gloomy Winds’ seeks to punish the mortal who dares to defy death!]

 

Shaaak!

The two axes crossed, creating a cross-shaped flash of light,

which violently collided with the ashen fog that Executive Director Jeong had roughly scattered.

Peoooong-

Urrrrr…!!

Simultaneously, shockwaves spread in ripples across the high sky.

The pillar of fire shook from the impact.

But the two men moved on to their next actions as if such collisions didn’t matter at all.

Lee Hyeon burrowed deep inside like a bull, trying to pin down Executive Director Jeong with force,

while Executive Director Jeong pulled back as much as possible, trying to bind Lee Hyeon with various skills condensed from wraiths.

Kwang! Kwakwakwang!

Pepepepeng-

In an instant, axes and hand blades clashed countless times, and skills successively aggravated each other’s wounds.

A fierce battle with neither side giving an inch.

Even after landing on the ground, the fierce attacks continued.

Kwang! Kwaang!

Peoong-

‘…Even for a warrior type, still,’

‘How can he directly exchange moves with Executive Director Jeong, who’s a High Ranker?’

Clearly, Executive Director Jeong had the upper hand.

He was continuously landing skills and pushing Lee Hyeon back.

But judging by his expression alone, Lee Hyeon was definitely not someone being cornered.

If he was pushed back two steps, he took three more forward, and if he got wounded once, he swung his axes two more times.

As if all he needed to do was somehow bring down Executive Director Jeong.

Because of this, the shields surrounding Executive Director Jeong were visibly breaking apart continuously.

‘Where does such fighting spirit come from…!’

 

[Based on the legend ‘When Tigers Smoked Tobacco’, forming a legion with Spear Ghosts bewitched by smoke.]

 

Im Won-young wasn’t standing idle either.

This fight had begun to solidify his succession.

Not only had he summoned the Jangsan Tiger to its maximum, but he also brought out all the Spear Ghosts he had collected so far to join the battle.

With two or three fierce-looking Spear Ghosts riding on the Jangsan Tiger as they rampaged across the battlefield.

It looked like legendary warriors were chastising the world.

Hwaaak!

“……”

Even under such pressure, Executive Director Jeong showed no signs of wavering and steadily blocked Im Won-young’s offensive.

Kwakwakwakwa-

The roughly surging flame storm seemed to herald an endless battle.

 

* * *

 

Crackle.

『We heard explosion sounds from the research facility, what’s happening!? We’re going in now,』

『No. The insertion team stands by at their current position.』

『But Deputy Director! You’re in a dangerous situation…!』

『I repeat. The insertion team maintains their current position. The enemy’s escape route must not be created. Over.』

Im Won-young blocked the entry of the follow-up insertion team. There could be more cases like Team Leader Park or Team Leader Cheon.

For now, it was right to face Executive Director Jeong with just their own strength.

Kwarrrrung!!

With a violent explosion, the three men were pushed apart from each other.

A fierce wind blew.

“…A little girl who couldn’t even properly lift her face in front of me,”

Executive Director Jeong brought his hand to the axe still embedded in his neck, dangling there.

Now she knows how to hold her head high and has grown quite a lot.”

Puwhaaak!

Drip-

When he roughly pulled out the axe, black fluid burst out like a fountain.

At the same time, pus flowed along the wound.

It reeked of decay.

Even though the wound had clearly gone deep into the central parts of his body where his heart and lungs should be,

He still looked completely intact.

Proof that his very existence had already become undead.

“Even your father couldn’t act like that in front of me.”

Clang!

Executive Director Jeong carelessly threw his axe to the floor and smiled coldly at Im Won-young.

Instead of answering, Im Won-young frowned.

“You have a terrible stench. The smell of rot is overwhelming.”

“Is that so? I’ve lost my sense of smell, you see.”

“I knew you were originally a rotten human being, but how does it feel to actually become one?”

“Your tongue is quite sharp. This part is very different from your kind father.”

Executive Director Jeong twisted one corner of his mouth.

“How does it feel, you ask? Very good. So good that I wonder why I didn’t do this sooner.”

Whoosh!

Just then, a Jangsan Tiger dropped down where Executive Director Jeong was standing.

As the Spear Ghost riding on top tried to stab him with its spear, Executive Director Jeong pushed the attack outward with the back of his hand while simultaneously slashing the Jangsan Tiger with his other hand.

Swish—

A truly flawless movement.

“The human body is nothing but inconvenient. The unclear senses and desires that activate at any time are the same. But this body feels no pain and never gets tired.”

The scar where the axe had been embedded moments ago healed instantly. No more pus flowed down.

“For working on something… there’s nothing more suitable than this. I’m very pleased with it.”

Kiiiaaaaak!

Ghostly wails leaked from the gray mist rotating around Executive Director Jeong.

And his right hand thrust out.

Palm strikes were fired in all directions.

A terrifying bombardment that seemed like it would completely blow away everything remaining in the vicinity.

The Jangsan Tigers hastily lifted their bodies into the air.

Rumble…

Tremendous recovery power and fierce attack power.

He seemed utterly satisfied with his current body.

“Look at this. Such a strong body. Never tired and always full of vitality.”

However,

“Are you really satisfied with it?”

Strangely, Im Won-young couldn’t sense any emotion from his opponent.

“What?”

“No matter how I look at it, you seem unnatural.”

“……”

“The Executive Director Jeong I knew was at least true to his own emotions, and his eyes would sparkle when showing ambition. I don’t see any of that now.”

“Are you trying to say that I’m acting out emotions?”

“Well, how would I know?”

Im Won-young shrugged his shoulders.

“You might be stubbornly refusing to admit that your choice was wrong.”

“Haha. I suppose it might look that way.”

Executive Director Jeong’s laughter sounded mechanical.

“But you don’t need to worry. I’m feeling stronger freedom than ever before.”

“That’s fortunate then.”

“You wouldn’t know. How long it’s been since I felt this relieved.”

“I’m not particularly curious about that.”

“Would you like to experience it once? It seems too wasteful for only me to feel something this good.”

“No. I’ll pass. I like myself as I am now.”

“That’s a bit disappointing. It would have been nice if you had accepted it willingly. I could certainly give such a gift to the daughter of old friends.”

Instantly, sparks flew from Im Won-young’s eyes.

Daughter of friends.

She was angry that such words came so carelessly from the mouth of the culprit who had caused her parents to be cast out.

“Look at that. No matter how much you pretend to be relaxed, you immediately get indignant just from a few words I say.”

“……”

“Emotions are ultimately nothing but unnecessary and cumbersome baggage. How many opportunities I missed being swayed by them.”

Executive Director Jeong continued speaking while clenching and unclenching his hand.

“Previously, I only wanted to gain recognition from your grandmother. But your grandmother’s standards were too high, and it was even harder to please her.”

“……”

“How much mental anguish I suffered because of that. Whether any action I took might displease your grandmother, whether any choice I made might conflict with your grandmother’s decisions… I had to suppress my desires while only reading the mood.”

Sunken eyes turned toward Im Won-young.

In the dead, murky pupils, only two emotions remained.

Greed.

And madness.

“But now I understand. All those times were equally pointless.”

“……”

“After all, the actions and choices of insignificant mortals in the eyes of God are nothing but worthless attachments… So I decided.”

Im Won-young thought the stench emanating from him was getting worse as time passed.

“To do as I please.”

“……”

“In the end, only results matter to God. I just need to prove my faith through results, don’t I?”

Greed and madness mixed into one. An utterly unidentifiable emotion flickered like flames.

At that moment,

Flash!

The golden headband Executive Director Jeong wore on his head began to emit light and rotate.

Whiiiiing…!!

It was like seeing the halo that supposedly shines above the heads of angels or saints in religious paintings.

 

[The myth ‘Master of Gloomy Winds’ begins to activate the Golden Headband’s function.]

[The myth ‘Master of Gloomy Winds’ uses the Golden Headband to bestow the yin energy of the Underworld’s Fengdu.]

 

[The Great Emperor of Fengdu directly oversees his apostle.]

 

“So I chose you as the first sacrifice, Im Won-young. To completely sever the human attachments He has left in this world.”

Whoosh!

As the halo’s rotation accelerated, the gloomy yin energy surrounding Executive Director Jeong became much stronger.

Kiiiaaaaaa!!

‘That golden headband…! The halo is connecting the Underworld and World of the Living to directly receive the Great Emperor of Fengdu’s divine power! What exactly is the identity of that Sacred Relic…?’

Im Won-young tried to recall if there was a Sacred Relic with such origins in myths related to the Great Emperor of Fengdu, but nothing came to mind.

Kukukukuku!

Yin wind spread across the entire ground in ripples. The flame storm that had been soaring into the sky changed direction and wrapped around his vicinity.

Grrrrr…!

Both the Jangsan Tigers and Spear Ghosts showed signs of extreme tension,

Whooom!!

An axe instantly flew toward Executive Director Jeong’s head.

A strike that broke the tension.

Flames shot up from below to block the axe midway.

When Executive Director Jeong struck it with the back of his hand, the axe bounced to the side,

At that moment, Lee Hyeon appeared from the blind spot behind him, swinging Fury Strike.

Whoosh!

Gwarrrrung-

A reaction as if the divine power of Pungdo the Great carried by the dark wind didn’t matter at all.

No, rather,

Gwarrrrung-

It acted threateningly as if it would immediately shatter the halo.

‘Team Leader Jang… could he possibly know the true identity of that thing…!’

As if agreeing with Im Won-young’s prediction,

Bang! Bang! Kwabang! Bang!!

Even when Lee Hyeon’s first assault was blocked, he poured all his second and third consecutive strikes toward the halo.

“You… act as if you know exactly what this is?”

“Who knows.”

At Executive Director Jeong’s question, Lee Hyeon smiled coldly while rapidly continuing his axe technique.

“But I know one thing for certain.”

 

[Stack has accumulated.]

[Lightning bolt falls!]

 

“That it’s nothing more than pearls before swine to you.”

Kwakwabang!

The lightning bolt was blocked by the fire demon and scattered before it could even reach Executive Director Jeong.

But Lee Hyeon moved again.

If one axe strike couldn’t fell the tree, then he’d strike ten times.

Flash!!

Lee Hyeon’s eyes emitted golden radiance. Blue-white lightning sparked up from his axe.

As lightning bolts continuously struck down over the fire streams, shaking the fire demon,

‘As expected, it’s difficult to catch him in my current state. My attacks keep getting blocked because of the Golden Headband.’

Lee Hyeon quickly sought a new solution.

Just then, the Jangsan Tiger and Spear Ghosts burst in again to assist him. Im Won-young was also running over with a cigarette in his mouth, drawing his sword.

Srrrrng-

Four Tiger Evil-Cutting Sword.

A sacred relic imbued with pure yang energy that cuts evil spirits and repels disasters.

 

[Four Tiger Evil-Cutting Sword]

A sword born in the Tiger year, Tiger month, Tiger day, and Tiger hour when yang energy reached its peak. Having received the tiger’s energy fourfold, it contains mystical power.

The 28 constellations and 29-character incantation engraved on the blade are imbued with divine energy, making them effective for warding off evil.

-Type: Sacred Relic. One-handed weapon.

-Origin: Document ‘Gyeongjin Sword Manual’

 

He’d recently received one-on-one special training from Mo Jeong-gyeon.

The momentum flowing along the blade was formidable.

Swish swish swish swik!

Puff puff pung-

「Kyaak! The tiger, the tiger is attacking me!」

「Get away! Get aw… Kyaaaak!」

The spirits that Executive Director Jeong commanded couldn’t withstand the evil-warding energy and were torn apart indiscriminately.

Shreeeeek!

Im Won-young on the left, Lee Hyeon on the right.

Despite the pressure closing in from both sides, Executive Director Jeong showed no signs of being pushed back.

No, rather, as the halo’s rotation accelerated, the dark wind’s eeriness deepened, and the advantage tilted toward Executive Director Jeong.

It was impossible to close the distance easily.

Whoooosh!

‘As expected, I need to retrieve the Golden Headband first. In that case…’

Having finished organizing his thoughts, Lee Hyeon fiddled with the earring on his left ear.

Cheoyong’s War Dance.

Next to it hung a new earring he hadn’t seen before.

A goblin crest burning in flames.

The second legend that Jet had boasted about was about to activate.

—————
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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