Broken Ranker Devours Myths - Chapter 83

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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 83

Jet (3)

 

 

 

-Temporarily, I’m thinking of reviving Blue Thunder.

-And I want you to lead them again.

-Can you do it?

 

Lee Gun-san’s words echoed in his mind.

The revival of Blue Thunder.

Lee Hyeon couldn’t answer that question hastily.

The position he had left without taking responsibility until the end.

And he had learned much later that the unit was disbanded shortly after.

How great must have been the emotional wounds the unit members suffered at that time?

They lost comrades, their leader left, and even the unit was forcibly disbanded…

Rather than being there to share those wounds together, he had hidden away.

‘It wouldn’t be strange if they resented me. No, they must have resented me. I would have felt the same if I were in their position.’

So he didn’t have the confidence to stand proudly before them.

Rather, it would only cause greater wounds to their hearts.

However,

 

-I’ll take it, senior.

 

Kim Min-jeong had said that.

 

-Don’t hesitate and accept it, you fool. Don’t put on that weird act again. Nobody resents you anyway.

 

Go Jin-woo had added those words from the side.

 

-This bastard is really smart sometimes, but then acts like a complete idiot once in a while? Hey! The guy who was Blue Thunder’s last leader still doesn’t get it? Those guys…

 

Those words were still echoing in his mind like an echo.

Kwaaaaang!!

The moment Lee Hyeon landed at the predetermined landing point, blue lightning shot up to the sky, brightly coloring the heavens,

“What’s this?”

“That startled me. I thought enemies had appeared.”

“That’s quite flashy…”

“I wondered who it was, but it’s a familiar face?”

People who had been waiting at the landing point appeared one by one and looked at Lee Hyeon.

Lee Hyeon’s eyes wavered.

Their uniforms were all familiar.

Dark blue special enhancement suits.

Blue lightning unit insignia embedded on the left shoulder.

Although their faces were hard to recognize as they all wore tactical masks,

Lee Hyeon could recognize who they all were.

Oh Su-heon who always brightened the mood, Kang Tae-gyun with his straightforward personality, Baek Si-yul who quietly watched from the side, Nam Geon-o who always pretended to have lots of dating experience but was actually single since birth…

Seven in total.

All were comrades who had run around together with Lee Hyeon during the Gangneung incident.

Thud!

Tap tap!

“Everyone’s here.”

“Look at them all armed up. Really intimidating.”

Following them, Kim Min-jeong and Go Jin-woo as well.

A total of ten Blue Thunder members had gathered in one place.

“Huh? Su-heon, didn’t you have a baby recently? Is it okay for you to be here?”

“I told my husband. Just staying home taking care of the baby doesn’t suit my nature.”

“What? When did you get married? I didn’t get a wedding invitation?”

“What are you talking about. I didn’t have a wedding ceremony, so I didn’t give you one.”

“Huh?”

“Didn’t you know? She got into trouble and had to have the baby quickly…”

“Could you refrain from saying such things in front of the person involved?”

A warm atmosphere as if a long-awaited class reunion was taking place.

Nowhere was anyone being excluded.

“…”

Lee Hyeon felt his chest tighten.

Kim Min-jeong glanced at him and quickly raised her hand to stop them.

“Alright, quiet. Save the local broadcasting for later. We need to work first, right? Pay attention, the leader has something to say.”

All the unit members’ gazes focused on Lee Hyeon.

Calm stares.

Some even formed smile lines around their eyes.

“I…”

What should he say?

Lee Hyeon’s voice trembled briefly, but soon the words he needed to say came to mind.

“I’m sorry. Everyone.”

“…”

“…”

Kim Min-jeong’s request that he should apologize when he met everyone someday.

“I won’t make other excuses. I…”

“Aw, what’s this? Boring.”

“Yaaaawn. I’m dying of boredom. Host, don’t you have other shows? I thought he was going to say something interesting.”

“…!?”

Lee Hyeon was about to bow when his comrades’ unexpected reactions made him blink.

Pfft.

Several of them let out dry laughs.

“What, did you really think we’d still be holding a grudge about that incident?”

“If we were going to resent anyone, we’d resent that bastard Chang-woo and that bitch Ye-bin… oh, shouldn’t I use such expressions? Anyway, those bastards,”

“Hey hey, the juniors are watching from behind. Let’s maintain some dignity.”

“Ahem! Anyway, we’d resent those guys, why would we resent the Captain?”

“…!”

Lee Hyeon’s eyes widened slightly.

“And back then everyone was really suffering from PTSD and couldn’t even think straight, it was chaos… We understood why you acted that way. We just,”

Go Jin-woo chuckled and stepped forward, placing his hand on Lee Hyeon’s shoulder.

“We were just waiting for when you’d come to your senses and return.”

“……!!”

“I told you, didn’t I? No one blames you, so don’t worry about it.”

“…….”

Lee Hyeon felt his chest tighten.

Everyone was…… looking at him with smiles.

Just as Go Jin-woo had said.

There wasn’t a single gaze filled with resentment anywhere.

Only welcome for his return.

‘Then I must stay true to the image they believe in. So as not to disappoint them.’

Lee Hyeon ran both hands down his face.

If they still showed unwavering faith.

Then once again, he had to repay that faith accordingly.

“Before we begin the operation, I’ll give you a brief mission briefing.”

A steady voice. Sharp eyes.

His comrades’ eyes lit up.

Jet, who had led them four years ago, was right before their eyes.

 

* * *

 

“Thank you.”

Lee Hyeon sought out Kim Min-jeong separately to express his gratitude.

“For what?”

“For lightening the mood with the guys. You put in a lot of effort mediating, didn’t you?”

“Why are you suddenly being like this? It’s creepy.”

Kim Min-jeong seemed embarrassed as she scratched her forearm with her hand.

But the bridge of her nose was also slightly red.

Lee Hyeon was always grateful for her.

Perhaps meeting this girl was his greatest fortune with people?

“Well, it does feel good hearing that from you, senior. Originally I wanted to say no, but this time I also want to gild my own face a little…….”

Kim Min-jeong said with a light laugh.

“Actually, there were more guys who wanted to participate in this mission. But they all had separate livelihoods or circumstances that prevented them from joining, so they were disappointed.”

Lee Hyeon nodded.

In fact, unlike four years ago, this operation didn’t really have any obligation for them to participate.

Yet their willingness to join the fight was due to

the patriotism for their country that still remained,

longing for their comrades,

and the desire to see Lee Hyeon again.

Even for those who couldn’t be here with them, Lee Hyeon was deeply grateful for their feelings.

“So don’t worry too much about it, and just show up to the gathering we planned for next time. And contribute a lot too.”

“I will. Or should I just treat everyone at that gathering instead?”

“They’re all simple guys, so they’d probably like that even more…… Are you confident? You know, right? They’re all gluttons and heavy drinkers?”

“Before coming here, I briefly heard from Team Leader Im about the team leader bonus.”

“Hmm?”

“Turns out I make quite a lot of money? Hehe.”

“……Your arrogance is impressive for someone in the same salary worker situation.”

Kim Min-jeong pouted her lips and lightly hit Lee Hyeon’s chest with the back of her hand.

“Then senior will treat us next time. I’ll make sure to completely destroy your bank account.”

“Should I?”

Pfft.

The sound of their laughter spread gently.

 

* * *

 

Crackle.

『Prepare for entry.』

『Alpha, preparation confirmed.』

『Beta, preparation confirmed.』

『Gamma, preparation confirmed.』

Reports came and went quickly through the radio items.

Blue Thunder was planned to move in four large teams.

Basically forming groups of three, Alpha team led by Kim Min-jeong would provide cover,

Beta team led by Go Jin-woo would handle reconnaissance,

and Gamma team led by Oh Su-heon, who had recently given birth, would handle breakthrough.

Oh Su-heon jokingly asked if it was okay to assign such dangerous work to a new mother,

but in fact, no one was more suited for this mission than her.

Excluding Lee Hyeon, she was the only Ranker here.

And…….

Lee Hyeon decided to move alone to ensure mobility.

A commander acting alone could potentially cause great confusion to the unit,

but this was also the reason Blue Thunder could demonstrate overwhelming skills different from other awakened military units.

『As I briefly explained in the briefing, the enemies inside the dungeon are currently being driven into the forest by the Daylight Unit.』

Crackle.

『However, due to their persistent guerrilla tactics and delaying tactics, the cleanup operation is experiencing setbacks. We must quickly cross through the forest and rapidly eliminate them.』

Crackle crackle.

『The most important point here is that we must suppress them with ‘overwhelming force.’』

As Lee Hyeon’s explanation continued, the team members’ eyes gradually changed.

The people who had been casually joking just moments before were nowhere to be seen.

Only predators waiting to devour their enemies remained.

Despite this being an operation launched after four years, strangely their teamwork wasn’t shaky at all.

They seemed like people who had coordinated together just yesterday.

『They are knockoffs that Seo Chang-woo created in China by imitating us. What should we do with knockoffs?』

『We must eliminate them.』

『We must remove them.』

『That’s right. Knockoffs must be eliminated. We must show them who the real ones are.』

A resolute voice.

『And behind us, juniors who grew up watching us are observing. What should we do in front of our juniors?』

『We must only show them our cool side.』

『We must make them realize the greatness of their seniors.』

Hot intensity.

『Exactly. So today, let’s clearly show everyone, friend and foe alike.』

The smell of gunpowder stinging their noses.

Everything was familiar.

At the center of it all,

Lee Hyeon’s blood boiled, but his mind was colder than ever.

『Who we are.』

『Order confirmed.』

『Order confirmed.』

『Order…… confirmed.』

『Begin entry.』

The moment Lee Hyeon’s command was given, the three teams moved swiftly.

“Alpha, commencing entry.”

“Beta, commencing entry.”

“Gamma, commencing entry.”

Lee Hyeon was the first to pass through the Dungeon Gate.

Whoooosh!

 

[You have entered the dungeon.]

 

[Dungeon ‘Well of the Three-Legged Crow’]

[You are currently exploring a region where the three-legged crow has died.]

[Since ancient times, the three-legged crow has been regarded as a sacred animal symbolizing the sun. However, so many warriors and heroes hunted the three-legged crow as a way to prove their valor that the species has now been completely wiped out.]

[This region is no different. The sun’s ember that fell from the dead three-legged crow spews forth lava and smoke without rest throughout all seasons, creating an environment where no living creature can survive.]

[Cross the rivers of fire, forests, and canyons to extinguish the ember. If you fail, the sun’s ember will have a negative impact not only on this world, but also on the outer world where you live.]

[Upon success: Three-legged crow’s feather.]

[Upon failure: Drowning.]

 

As soon as he entered the dungeon, Lee Hyeon was greeted by a terrible burning smell and scorching heat.

The ground was covered with pitch-black basalt.

The path was so uneven that it was difficult even to stand.

The problem was that sticky lava flowed like a river through the cracks.

The sulfurous smoke rising from it was equally troublesome.

 

[Poison Resistance (S) activates to remove toxins.]

[The effect of ‘Trait: Beolmosesu’ is applied to remove any turbid energy that might accumulate.]

 

“Kak kak! You’ve really gotten stuck in a particularly nasty dungeon.”

Sha Wujing looked around and shook his head from side to side.

The dungeon environment was that terrible.

The volcano seemed to have erupted not long ago, as lava and smoke poured endlessly from distant craters, and aftershocks remained, causing the ground to tremble faintly.

High and low canyons that appeared to have recently risen were densely packed everywhere, forming a maze.

Burned forests, dried rivers, and lava pools that erupted like geysers could be seen scattered across the ground.

“The environment seems similar to the Burning Hell, the lake of fire. Kak kak. Don’t you think Peng Demon King would really love a place like this, senior brother?”

At Sha Wujing’s question, Son Wukong nodded heavily with his arms crossed.

His gaze was firmly fixed on the volcanic crater.

As if he had sensed something…

“Kak kak. Senior brother thinks so too. Our master will be getting quite busy now, won’t he?”

Lee Hyeon organized his thoughts while looking at the crater where Peng Demon King was presumably located.

He had three tasks to handle in this dungeon.

Eliminating Ping Xin,

Rescuing Peng Demon King,

Closing the dungeon.

All were difficult, but they weren’t impossible to accomplish.

‘As long as I have these guys…’

“Alpha, entry complete. Confirmed no anomalies in the vicinity.”

“Beta, entry complete. Movement passage secured.”

“Gamma, entry complete. Ready to move.”

Soon after, reports came through the radio announcing the completion of the first mission,

and Lee Hyeon began to move.

“Everyone move quickly to the operation site.”

“Order confirmed.”

“Order confirmed.”

“Order confirmed.”

Blue Thunder moved into action.

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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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