Broken Ranker Devours Myths - Chapter 99

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

 

 

 

The Broken Ranker

Devours Myths

 

Chapter 99

Apostle Trial (4)

 

 

 

Son Wukong’s expression crumpled miserably.

「Do you think the Apostle Trial is a joke? How can you take three at once?」

But Lee Hyeon only smiled.

Son Wukong even stood up and pointed accusingly.

「And in all my life, I’ve never heard of an apostle serving more than two gods at once,」

“There’s no rule saying it’s impossible, is there?”

「……What?」

“I’ve searched through all the system logs, but I’ve never seen a message saying it can’t be done.”

「……!?」

Lee Hyeon shrugged his shoulders.

“So I’m trying to be the first. I really love that kind of thing.”

「Ohohoho. What tremendous guts you have. Yes. A man should have that kind of spirit.」

「Kakkakka! It seems my senior brother will have to concede! Our apostle’s mind seems completely made up!!」

The Peng Demon King and Sha Wujing laughed approvingly, but only Son Wukong still couldn’t smile.

「You brat! And! Hey! Didn’t I tell you? I had already claimed you! Even so, this elder was magnanimous enough to consider letting you be a temporary apostle to Sha Wujing at most, but a formal apostle? No way! Not until dirt covers my eyes!!」

Son Wukong was now ready to throw himself on the ground.

It was a “go ahead and kill me” attitude.

The gazes of the Peng Demon King and Sha Wujing turned cold.

「Now I understand what Master Sha meant by frustration.」

「Kakkak, didn’t I tell you? At times like this, there’s no one more stubborn than this stone monkey?」

But Lee Hyeon was merely indifferent.

“Then there’s no choice.”

「Yes! You’ve finally come to your senses!」

「Hmm, it’s a shame since you’re a rare talent I’ve met in a while…….」

「No! Apostle! How can you give up so easily!」

「Quiet, you lot! My apostle made that choice, so why do you keep interfering,」

“I’ll take the trials separately, excluding the Great Sage’s.”

In an instant, Lee Hyeon’s cold voice cut through Son Wukong’s triumphant words.

Son Wukong stared at Lee Hyeon with wide eyes.

Lee Hyeon maintained his indifferent attitude.

「Wh, what!?」

“There’s no choice, is there? Since the Great Sage is so opposed, I’ll have to take only the others, excluding the Great Sage’s.”

「…….」

「Ohoho! That seems like a good idea!」

「Kakkakka! Our apostle is right! If there’s someone who doesn’t want it, only that person needs to be excluded!」

Lee Hyeon asked with a twisted smile.

“Anyway, I can keep using the Sacred Relics I already have even if I’m not an apostle, right? I’ve gotten used to the Fiery Eyes, and I’ve started to use the Ruyi Jingu Bang and Golden Headband little by little. I just need to work harder with them.”

「…….」

“What should I do? Should I exclude the Great Sage’s trial and proceed now?”

Son Wukong had no choice but to let out a shriek.

「We can take them together! Together!!」

A victor’s smile appeared on Lee Hyeon’s lips.

 

* * *

 

「I took in a groveling brat and raised him up…… only to get stabbed in the back…… they say you shouldn’t raise black-haired ones…….」

Muttering.

Grumbling.

Though he could hear Son Wukong’s constant complaints from behind with his arms crossed,

Lee Hyeon paid no attention at all and waited for the message.

 

[‘Event: Apostle Trial’ has been selected.]

[Would you like to start the event?]

 

Lee Hyeon took a deep breath and nodded.

 

[Start has been selected.]

[A key to the event dungeon will be provided.]

 

As Lee Hyeon held out both hands, a bronze key fell onto them.

Thunk!

A large key that might have been used in medieval times.

However,

this wasn’t the end.

 

[Two other types of Divine Power besides the Ruyi Jingu Bang’s Divine Power will be additionally granted to the key.]

[The Divine Power of the ‘Mask of the Golden Arhat’ has been added.]

[The Divine Power of the ‘Demonic Path of Blazing Heat’ has been added.]

……

[Three types of Divine Power are mixing. Three Logos have each bestowed different Apostle Trials upon you.]

[Warning! The three Apostle Trials are integrating, causing the difficulty of the Apostle Trial to skyrocket.]

[Warning! There is no precedent for combining two or more Apostle Trials. It is recommended to take only one Apostle Trial.]

[Warning! Reckless choices may result in fatal danger.]

……

 

Red warning messages stuck all over.

But when he pushed them all aside, the message he wanted finally appeared.

 

[Three Apostle Trials are being combined. Adjusting difficulty balance.]

[Integrating.]

……

[Integration complete.]

 

[The given key will be updated.]

 

Zzzzzing!!

The bronze key now changed to a blue-white color.

As if filled with Dueoksini’s fury, it even emanated intense heat.

 

[Turn the key where there is a ‘door’.]

 

The message ended there.

「I was wondering if the integrated trial could be properly constructed…」

「Kekeke. Fortunately, there seems to be no problem. Well, our apostle’s capabilities are so remarkable that the system must have acknowledged the exception.」

Sha Wujing continued with a grin.

「Still, a dungeon containing the will of three different Logos… It’s hard to imagine what it will look like.」

Lee Hyeon asked while touching the blue-white key that still hadn’t cooled down.

“I suppose the three of you can’t enter the trial together?”

「Kekeke. Usually not. The apostle trial is literally about confirming qualifications. The examiners can’t enter together with the test-taker.」

Lee Hyeon nodded at Sha Wujing’s answer.

“Then I’ll begin.”

Lee Hyeon slowly rose from his seat.

He was currently in a neighborhood park.

When he opened his Golden Eyes of Truth, he could see many doors with blue-white waves spreading around them.

Unlike previous instance dungeons, it seemed he could pass through as long as it was simply in the form of a ‘door’.

「Kekeke. Do well and come back. An apostle like you will surely succeed.」

「Don’t overdo it. Usually apostle trials aren’t completed in one go, but are cleared bit by bit with rest in between.」

“Thank you.”

Lee Hyeon’s gaze passed Sha Wujing and the Peng Demon King to reach Son Wukong.

As if asking whether he had nothing to say to him.

Son Wukong glared at Lee Hyeon as if finding him absurd,

but soon frowned at Lee Hyeon’s shameless face and answered.

「If you encounter a difficult situation, carefully retrace what you’ve learned from me. The answer will surely be within that.」

“Like studying only with textbooks and getting a perfect score on the college entrance exam.”

「That’s how important the fundamentals are, you brat!」

“I’m joking. I know well too. That the Great Sage has taught me many things.”

「…」

Lee Hyeon retraced what he had learned from Son Wukong.

Although he hadn’t learned his divine authorities or skills yet, claiming his abilities weren’t sufficient,

his attitude toward battle,

his sense for reading opponents,

his insight for seeing the present, and such—

he had learned many things that couldn’t be taught even for a fortune in gold just by watching.

Moreover, sacred relics like the Golden Eyes of Truth, Ruyi Jingu Bang, and Golden Headband were lending him power.

And…

‘There’s also the Monkey King’s martial arts.’

Though he was still only learning the forms and hadn’t grasped the meaning within them,

this alone was enough for him to claim to be Son Wukong’s representative.

Therefore,

‘There should be no failure.’

Lee Hyeon slightly bowed his head, filled with gratitude.

“I’ll do well and return.”

「Good.」

Son Wukong seemed to have calmed down considerably by then.

“Whew…”

Lee Hyeon took another deep breath and circulated his magic power greatly.

 

[Fully opening ‘Sacred Relic: Golden Eyes of Truth’ to reconfirm surrounding information.]

[Activating the Ruyi Jingu Bang to prepare for Super Recovery at any time. Taking out the Golden Headband to accelerate thinking speed.]

 

Whoooosh!

Whirrrr-

Lee Hyeon’s eyes turned golden, and a golden ring naturally appeared above his brow, spinning vigorously.

With all the sacred relics received from Son Wukong activated, he inserted the blue-white key into the park warehouse door.

Click!

As the key entered the iron door, a sound like something engaging could be heard,

Clank-

The moment he turned it to the side, blue-white light poured toward Lee Hyeon.

The world was inverted.

 

* * *

 

Whoosh!

Instantly, dry hot wind struck Lee Hyeon’s face.

It was a dungeon.

Ding!

 

[You have entered an Event Dungeon.]

 

What greeted Lee Hyeon was a world entirely dyed in red light.

The ground was parched and cracked like a turtle’s shell, and the world was engulfed in dark red flames, making it impossible to see beyond the surroundings.

An environment similar yet completely different from , which had volcanic terrain.

It was so devastating that this might be what the world would look like if it became a sea of fire after the world’s end.

In the center of such a desolate world,

a massive tower stood tilted as if about to collapse completely.

 

[Dungeon ‘Tower of Five Elements’]

[You have entered a unique trial ground mixed with the characteristics of three Logos.]

[This place was designed based on a sealed divine land where a certain Logos was imprisoned for over 500 years. With the addition of curse and hellfire characteristics, the trials of each floor were completed.]

[The tower consists of a total of 5 levels. Each floor has hidden unique missions and guardians, so pass through them all and climb to the top of the tower.]

[Achievement Conditions]

1. Master the five senses.

2. Perform floor missions.

3. Gain the guardians’ recognition.

 

[Upon Success: Obtain Apostle Qualification.]

[Upon Failure: Apostle Qualification Revoked.]

 

Lee Hyeon swept his hair back and slowly walked toward the tower.

‘Tower of Five Elements… It seems to be based on the Five Elements Mountain where Son Wukong was sealed by Buddha Shakyamuni.’

In , Son Wukong caused havoc against the Heavenly Realm, was subdued by Buddha Shakyamuni, and had to be sealed for 500 years.

When Tripitaka came to rescue him, that’s when the journey to the west began.

Five Elements Mountain was the name of the mountain where Son Wukong was sealed.

So he had to pass through this place to be granted official apostle qualification…

The problem was that with the addition of Sha Wujing and the Peng Demon King’s myths, it seemed many changes had occurred in the apostle trial.

The collapsing tower and the hellish surrounding environment all seemed to be the result of that.

‘How is it that there seems to be no one with a normal past history.’

Since myths are bound to contain the god’s past and inner thoughts,

just from this alone, he could roughly guess at their past histories.

Lee Hyeon smiled bitterly as he arrived at the tower and opened the main gate.

It was so rusted that he wondered if it would even open.

Creak.

Still, when he applied force and opened it wide, darkness greeted Lee Hyeon.

‘Why is it so dark?’

Just as he was about to activate Dueoksini’s Deep Breath to create some light,

 

[You have entered the tower.]

[This is the First Floor.]

 

A brief message appeared simultaneously.

And then…….

…….

….

‥.

·.

 

[The Golden Headband spins rapidly, forcibly awakening consciousness submerged in darkness!]

 

‘……What is this?’

Lee Hyeon felt his consciousness suddenly sink downward, then belatedly snapped back to alertness.

‘Where on earth am I?’

But he couldn’t feel any sensation at all.

A place where nothing could be seen, heard, or even felt through touch.

He couldn’t even sense whether he was dreaming or awake.

It felt as if he had been thrown alone into an empty void of nothingness.

Lee Hyeon instinctively realized this must be a trial.

He couldn’t even manage a hollow laugh.

‘What kind of trial is this……?’

Son Wukong had said it was modeled after Five Elements Mountain where he was sealed for 500 years. This tower seemed to be attempting a seal from the very beginning.

All five senses had been shut off.

‘So that’s what the first achievement condition about mastering the five senses meant……. They sealed them all and want me to reclaim them one by one.’

Lee Hyeon regained his composure.

‘First, I need to understand exactly what the situation is.’

The biggest problem was that he currently had no external perception whatsoever.

Normally, people perceive the external world through sensory organs like sight, hearing, and smell, receiving information to make judgments about how to respond.

He needed a cognitive pathway to receive information about the external world.

Fortunately, Lee Hyeon had one method available.

‘Dueoksini’s Deep Breath.’

All information exchange in the nervous system occurs through electrical signals.

This meant that if information about the external world could be converted into electrical signals, it could certainly be perceived.

This was a method Lee Hyeon had often used during his Jet days when curses dulled his senses.

‘……This is the first time all my senses have been completely shut off. It’s definitely unfamiliar. If time keeps passing like this, my sense of self might collapse.’

Lee Hyeon recalled the sensation of activating Dueoksini’s Deep Breath.

‘Reduce the output of Lightning Energy to the minimum, and draw it out thin like a fine thread…….’

He focused most on controlling the output.

With his sense of touch also sealed, he couldn’t tell if he was doing it properly,

but he still unraveled it strand by strand like spinning thread by hand, relying on the sensations he had accumulated over time.

 

[The Golden Headband generates white heat, expanding conscious thought.]

 

In this process, Lee Hyeon actively utilized the Golden Headband.

A hint from the message Son Wukong had given him.

‘The Great Sage definitely told me to recall his teachings. It must mean I should actively use the Sacred Relic when passing the apostle trial.’

He felt a ‘sensation’ of something gradually flowing out from the tightly bundled Lightning Energy.

‘The Golden Headband governs the brain gate, the world of consciousness. And this is all composed of electrical signals……. What if I could extract the electrical signals spreading from the brain gate not just within the realm of ‘me’, but also ‘outside’?’

He had achieved a shift in thinking by utilizing the Sacred Relic.

An expansion of the realm called ‘me’.

If he could do that, he could pull all information from the external world into the realm of ‘me’ and perceive it completely without relying on the five senses…….

 

[Dueoksini’s Deep Breath (S+) has connected with the Golden Headband.]

[By mastering a new usage method, the Golden Headband’s proficiency has greatly increased.]

 

Lee Hyeon wove the Lightning Energy he had unraveled strand by strand like a spider’s web and spread it densely in all directions.

 

[You have mastered a new usage method for Lightning Energy.]

 

At that moment,

a cold ‘sensation’ rushed into his mental image.

Ding!

Ding!

 

[You have broken the closed system and newly awakened touch, the first of the sealed five senses.]

[You have gained the Golden Headband’s recognition!]

[You have achieved part of the first condition among the achievement conditions. (1/5)]

 

Lee Hyeon’s mind became alert.

Gaining recognition from the Sacred Relic.

He had completed one of the most important parts of the apostle trial and should have been happy, but,

‘……Cold?’

Lee Hyeon somehow felt that his current location seemed familiar.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————