The Return of the Genius Ranker’s Myth Warehouse - Chapter 109

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

Chapter 109
Chapter 109
The Imperial Palace housed numerous treasure vaults.
As befitted the Imperial Palace Treasure Vault, each one safeguarded brilliant gold and silver treasures, maintaining formidable security protocols.
Yet the vault I was being guided to maintained the most impenetrable security of them all.
“By His Majesty’s command.”
“May I see your authorization document?”
Even with the Guard Captain of the Imperial Guard walking beside me, they demanded authorization papers.
“We must conduct a security inspection.”
Both the Guard Captain’s equipment and mine underwent thorough examination, including magical screening to verify we bore no disguises or concealment enchantments.
“We shall verify the secret passphrase.”
“Beneath the blessing of the Golden Dragon, may Baltika’s glory endure.”
They verified the secret passphrase and more.
Every conceivable security procedure was executed.
The final measure even astonished me, and for good reason.
“Your Majesty, the Imperial Guard Captain and an adventurer named Mir have arrived.”
– I grant approval.
“We are honored by Your Majesty’s grace.”
The final security measure was a direct communication channel to the Emperor himself, requiring his personal authorization.
I doubted even the greatest master thief could breach this security alone.
Yet the security procedures were far from complete.
After receiving the Vault Keeper’s approval and standing before the vault entrance, I
“Use the key.”
withdrew the golden key bestowed upon me directly by the Emperor.
Without this key, even penetrating all security measures would prove futile—the vault’s structure simply would not yield.
Good heavens.
What treasures of such immeasurable value warranted such meticulous security?
Click.
I opened the vault door.
As I moved to enter with eager anticipation, the Guard Captain remained motionless.
“Only the adventurer Mir has received authorization to enter the vault. You alone.”
Even the Guard Captain was not permitted to enter.
‘That suits me fine.’
Without the Guard Captain following, I could examine the vault far more freely.
With that thought, I stepped inside, the vault door sealed behind me, and the interior illumination activated.
Then the Imperial Palace’s greatest treasures were revealed.
“…Truly, these are the treasures of the Imperial Palace?”
Even I, who had collected every item existing in First, was left utterly astonished.
[ Moonlight Bow ]
[ Storm Shield ]
[Silver Slayer’s Dagger]
….
“At minimum, Epic grade?”
First, the weapons mounted on the weapon racks to the left.
At a glance, every single one of these unremarkable-looking weapons was at least Epic grade or higher.
Legendary grade items were scattered about without much fanfare.
Mythic grade items didn’t exist here, but then again, Mythic grade items are, by definition, artifacts imbued with divine power.
Unless they were national treasures of the Empire, there was no way the Imperial Palace Treasure Vault would contain Mythic grade items.
Next came the armor section.
[Crimson King’s Armor]
[Abyss Helm]
[Holy Guardian’s Robe]
[Phoenix Feather Cloak]
….
The same held true here.
Epic and Legendary grade items were mounted everywhere.
Beyond those were accessories listed—the Twilight Leash, the Obsidian Ring of Darkness, the Ring of Chaos, and more.
Treasures that didn’t pale in comparison to the grand prize of the Second Crown tournament.
Such treasures lined the vault in abundance.
“Nothing particularly appeals to me.”
I couldn’t spot a single treasure worthy of my tastes.
In truth, what had initially astonished me was merely the sheer power of an empire that could amass and store treasures of this caliber.
I couldn’t claim to be impressed by the items’ performance.
After all, my own vault contained not merely Legendary equipment, but Mythic grade equipment as well.
Adding a single Legendary item wouldn’t change anything.
“What’s next….”
As I ventured deeper into the vault, various monster materials came into view.
[Blue Dragon Scale]
[Shattered Life Vessel of the Arch Lich]
[Rainbow Unicorn Horn]
….
These too were extraordinary.
Refining them would be difficult at my current level, but if I succeeded, I could craft some truly remarkable items.
I could also enhance existing equipment.
Moreover, I could simply take them out and sell them to production-class players for an enormous profit.
However.
“If I’m thinking about making money, those items would be better than monster materials.”
There were other items with far greater liquidity than raw materials.
[Chaos Opal]
[Emerald of Life]
[ Heart of a Star ]
[ Eternal Flame ]
….
Jewel-type items.
Highly liquid assets that commanded exorbitant prices even without special processing.
While craftsmen and other players would purchase them at premium rates, they could also be sold to luxury-loving NPCs like nobles for astronomical sums.
Once converted to gold and then to cash at the Auction House.
I could earn money far more conveniently and quickly than with other items.
But.
“I’m not in urgent need of funds right now.”
I wanted to choose something different if possible.
Since I was still in the early stages of the game, I preferred items that would be more beneficial than blindly chasing quick profits by selecting liquid assets.
If I had to choose….
“Items like these.”
[ Chalice of the Ancient Spirit ]
[ Elixir of Immortality ]
[ Phoenix’s Tear ]
[ Essence of the Divine Tree ]
….
The deeper recesses of the vault were stacked with all manner of elixirs.
Among them were elixirs newly added in Second that didn’t exist in First—ones I didn’t yet possess.
Elixirs could take effect as long as they weren’t duplicates of the same type, so drinking one of these would substantially boost my stats and resistances.
“Or those would work just as well.”
What next caught my attention was.
[ Founder Baltika’s Imperial Swordsmanship ]
[ Golden Dragon’s Oppression ]
[ Star Summoning Scroll ]
[ Elemental Punishment ]
Skill books and grimoires.
These too were epic and legendary grade, but they felt entirely different from the ones I already possessed—fresh, new skill books and grimoires.
‘These must all be newly added in Second.’
By selecting these as an investment in my future, I could substantially elevate my power immediately.
With that resolve, I was about to choose one elixir or skill book that I needed when.
– Master.
“Hmm?”
Luke’s voice suddenly reached me.
– Would you be willing to follow my guidance?
Follow his guidance?
I wondered what he meant.
Whoosh!
A long stream of black flame created by Luke extended before me.
I hesitated for a moment.
“All right.”
It was Luke’s request, after all.
There was no set time limit for choosing an item, and since I had the leisure, I decided to listen to what Luke had to say.
Following Luke’s guidance, I advanced.
“A statue?”
A statue of a golden dragon appeared.
In truth, this wasn’t particularly strange.
The golden dragon was the symbol of the Baltika Empire, and since this was the Imperial Palace Treasure Vault of the Baltika Empire, decorations modeled after the golden dragon were scattered throughout.
But then.
Whoosh!
The black flame Luke had conjured suddenly began to burn the statue.
Though Luke’s black flame appeared formidable, it possessed virtually no offensive power whatsoever.
So even if it burned the statue, it should have been impossible for the statue to actually ignite or melt—yet that wasn’t what happened.
Sizzle—
The golden dragon statue began to vanish.
It wasn’t that its physical form disappeared, but rather it seemed as though a mirage was burning away and dissolving.
Where the golden dragon statue had been, there now lay.
“A fang?”
A pitch-black fang rested there.
Yet its shape seemed oddly familiar.
It was certainly much smaller than what I remembered, and the aura it radiated was far weaker.
“This is your tooth, isn’t it?”
The form bore a striking resemblance to Luke’s.
Having challenged Luke countless times during the First era and fought him repeatedly, I remembered it vividly.
And Luke nodded at my words.
– …That is correct. Though weakened, it is indeed my dragon fang.
Unbelievable.
So this really was Luke’s fang.
But why on earth had it been stored in the Imperial Palace Treasure Vault?
And besides, wasn’t Luke’s physical form completely annihilated when I defeated him?
On a whim, I checked the Item Information.
[ Dragon Fang of the Black Flame Dragon ]
Form : ??
Grade : ??
Restriction : ??
Description : ??
In the Item Information, the name “Dragon Fang of the Black Flame Dragon” was clearly displayed.
Of course, though I didn’t know why, all other information remained completely obscured.
“Why do you still have your fangs?”
– When I was destroyed by you, Master, I instinctively scattered my body across the world to ensure my resurrection.
“Resurrection?”
I hadn’t expected Luke to have orchestrated something like this.
More than that—scattering his body across the world.
That meant other parts of his body were scattered throughout the world besides his fangs, didn’t it?
As I was processing this unexpected revelation.
– Master, would you be willing to select my fangs?
Luke made me a proposal.
He was asking me to help him find his lost body.
Hearing those words, I couldn’t help but grow suspicious.
‘Could he be planning to betray me once he recovers his body?’
For now, he was bound by our contract and obediently followed my commands.
But Luke was originally the hidden final boss monster of First, brimming with malice.
The Black Flame Dragon, Lucnir Desperato Ignockton.
If such a monster were to regain his flesh through me, resurrect himself, and then seek to dominate the continent?
As if reading my thoughts.
– There is no need for concern, Master.
– My desire to recover my fangs stems solely from wanting to become more useful to you.
– My happiness now lies only in growing alongside you and becoming an even greater asset to you.
– And if you recall the contract, you will understand that I can never betray you.
“Hmm….”
The contract with Luke.
In other words, the Black Flame contract.
Since I was contracting with the hidden final boss monster of First, I had drawn up the agreement with Luke with the utmost care and deliberation.
Recalling its terms….
‘Indeed, I had drafted it thoroughly with betrayal in mind from the start.’
There was no way Luke could betray me.
And considering Luke’s recent behavior, that was even more certain.
Back in First, he was merely an AI following my commands like any other NPC.
But now, Luke actively retrieves items for me, and when I’m in danger, hasn’t he used Black Flame without even being instructed?
A Luke like that seemed trustworthy.
“Very well.”
I agreed to Luke’s request.
[ Will you select the ‘Black Flame Dragon’s Fang’ from the Imperial Palace Treasure Vault? ]
[ You have only one opportunity. ]
[ The moment you select an item, you will exit the Treasure Vault. ]
The instant I grasped the Black Flame Dragon’s fang, a System Message regarding the reward selection appeared.
Since it was an item hidden within the Treasure Vault, I wondered if it might be an exceptional item outside the normal categories.
Unfortunately, it seemed this too was classified as a reward.
Probably, the moment I nodded here, I’d be thrown out of the Imperial Palace Treasure Vault.
But I harbored no regrets.
[ You have selected ‘Black Flame Dragon’s Fang’ as your reward from the Imperial Palace Treasure Vault. ]
The instant I chose the item.
Luke ignited black flames as if he’d been waiting for this moment, setting his fangs ablaze.
In that instant.
[ ‘Black Flame Dragon, Luke Desperato Ignockton’ absorbs the ‘Black Flame Dragon’s Fang’. ]
[ ‘Luke’ reclaims his fangs and partially recovers his former power. ]
[ The quality and quantity of nutrients ‘Luke’ can consume and absorb increases. ]
[ The quality and quantity of nutrients ‘Luke’ can share with his contractor increases. ]
Whoooosh!
Black flames erupted from my center, spreading outward and consuming the vault.
Luke’s eyes gleamed within the pitch-black inferno.
Below that.
Luke’s maw—which I had never seen before—opened wide, revealing razor-sharp fangs.
Yet what flowed through those menacing fangs was.
– Thank you, Master.
– Choosing to follow you has been the greatest decision of my life.
– With you by my side… I’m certain I can reach heights beyond what I once achieved.
– From this moment forward… I pledge my unwavering loyalty and service to you.
A message of absolute devotion.
[ You exit the Imperial Palace Treasure Vault. ]
With that, my body felt weightless as I was transported outside the vault where the Guard Captain stood.
Now it was time to slip away from the Imperial Palace.

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