The Return of the Genius Ranker’s Myth Warehouse - Chapter 21

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 21
Chapter 21
After I made up my mind to leave the City of Beginnings.
I logged out, grabbed a meal, and was resting for a bit.
Ring, ring—
My phone started ringing.
Since I didn’t have many contacts saved in my phone to begin with, there weren’t many people who would call me.
The phone was recently activated, so I wasn’t getting spam calls yet. It had to be family or a friend.
One or the other.
Though even calling them friends, I only had one left in my contacts.
Sure enough, when I picked up my phone, the caller ID showed:
[ Kang Ju-hyuk ]
It was Kang Ju-hyuk.
I hadn’t even answered yet, but I could roughly guess why he was calling.
‘That guy said he plays Second too.’
He probably saw the global message that appeared in Second and reached out.
I’d never told him my in-game nickname, but considering my real name and when I started the game, he could have figured it out.
Sure enough, the moment I answered:
– Hey, Mir! Is this you? No way, right?
“It’s me.”
– You’re serious? Mir? The user who cleared the Tower of Beginning with an SSS rating?!
“Yeah. I’m eating right now, so I’ll call you back later.”
– How did you pull this off?! What? Wow, that’s insane. How long have you been playing and you’re already on the Record Stone? You were good at First, but this is something else?
Kang Ju-hyuk bombarded me with questions.
If I didn’t answer, he’d probably keep calling, so I reluctantly set down my spoon and answered his questions.
It wasn’t like I needed to hide anything from him.
Besides, even if I told him, he’d already graduated from the City of Beginnings, so there was no way for him to attempt it anyway.
– There was a Transcendent Trial? That’s crazy.
– But how did you even clear that? I only got an A+ rating.
Apparently, Kang Ju-hyuk had received an A+ rating on his graduation exam.
Since he’d started from the early days of Second’s opening, there wouldn’t have been any guides available yet.
Getting an A+ rating under those circumstances was actually an impressive score.
He’d mentioned before that Second recognized him to some degree, and it seemed that wasn’t an exaggeration.
– Now that I think about it, I think Yul-ha was also a First user.
“Yul-ha?”
– You don’t know Yul-ha?! If you’re playing Second, you should at least know who’s ranked first right now!
“No, I know the name.”
– Huh? You know Yul-ha?
“Not from Second. From First.”
– What, were you close? With Yul-ha, the rank one player?
“No, we weren’t close. I just saw her face in passing. We never actually talked.”
– Ah, what am I saying then.
Yul-ha.
A familiar name.
We weren’t close or anything, but she was one of the rare few users I could occasionally spot in First.
Unlike me, who roamed everywhere collecting every item and Achievement in First, she was the Swordmaster who methodically hunted in hunting grounds suited to her level, steadily raising her stats.
Her rigid demeanor was so impressive that anyone watching might have thought she was using a macro, which is why she remained memorable.
– Anyway, you’re seriously not joking, right? At this rate, you could even compete in tournaments.
“Tournaments?”
– You don’t seriously mean you don’t know?
“What tournament are you talking about?”
– Obviously the Second Crown! The largest tournament held once a year in Second! A league to claim the crown of Second!
As I listened to Kang Ju-hyuk’s explanation and searched for information, such a tournament indeed existed.
No, it wasn’t just that it existed—it was apparently incredibly famous.
Well, Second is currently called the most popular game in the world, not just in Korea.
It was only natural that a tournament held in such a game would be popular.
– Ah, but it might be difficult for you to challenge it. The tournament only has about a week left now.
“Why is that?”
– The lowest tier Beginner League is for users up to level 200.
After searching, I found that the Second Crown consisted of three leagues in total.
The Beginner League for users up to level 200.
The Master League for users up to level 400.
The Challenger League for users level 401 and above.
Having just graduated from the City of Beginnings and reached level 10, I could technically participate in the Beginner League, but…
– No matter how well you do, how could you beat a level 200 user at your current level?
That statement was correct.
The Beginner League’s range was vast.
Since users up to level 200 could participate, there would certainly be users who stopped their growth at level 200, waiting specifically to dominate the Beginner League.
Comparing stats alone, a level 10 user stood no chance against a level 200 user.
Skill aside, even considering pure numerical values, it was impossible.
No matter how skilled you were, if a level 200 user deployed an area-of-effect skill that a level 10 user couldn’t avoid, how could someone with such low base health and defense survive?
– Still, don’t be discouraged. With your abilities, if you prepare properly next year, you might actually be able to win the championship.
“The cycle is once a year?”
– That’s right? You could reach level 200 next year and stop there. With your skill, you could hit 200 before the next tournament.
Two hundred levels in a year?
He seemed to be severely underestimating me.
In a year, I would easily surpass two hundred levels.
Even though the game had changed somewhat from my time in First, I was already the rank 1 user who had reached max level in First.
For that reason.
“What did you say the prize was?”
– It changes every time, and it’s no joke. If you just get the rewards and put them up for auction, you’d make a fortune, right?
“Sounds good.”
– Good? What’s good about it?
“I’m going to participate in this Beginner League.”
– Wait, there’s only a week left? I know you’re skilled, but how are you going to compete against 200-level users?
“Levels can be raised.”
I decided to participate in this Second Crown.
I know the methods to raise levels quickly.
Well, even for me, reaching level 200 in just a week would be impossible…
‘The real problem isn’t reaching level 200—it’s beating level 200 users.’
You don’t necessarily need to reach level 200 to win in the Beginner League.
Although I didn’t get proper duel practice in First due to the small user base, I’ve faced far more monsters than that.
In that sense, as long as the gap isn’t excessive, I’m confident I can cover the stat difference with skill.
Most importantly.
‘I have items too.’
I have Luke.
And within Luke’s inventory exists every item I’ve collected in First.
If I focus on leveling this week, I can definitely win.
– Hmm, well. Do as you like. Even if you can’t win the championship, it’s good experience to participate once.
“Anyway, thanks. For telling me.”
– If you’re grateful, help me out too. As a First veteran, don’t you have any tips or tricks to share with me?
“Do you need something specific?”
– It’s not that I need anything in particular, but I’m thinking of participating in the Second Crown too.
“The Beginner League?”
– Beginner? Come on, I’m doing better than you’d think. By the time the league starts, I should hit exactly level 400. Right now.
At this point, level 400 is quite a high level.
He showed pride in his Second character, so he must actually have some skill.
– And since we’re playing the same game, shouldn’t we meet face-to-face in the game? If you want, I could even help you get stronger before the tournament?
“No thanks. You said you need to reach level 400 yourself.”
– If you need any items, just say so. Your older brother will help you out!
“Older brother? I’m hanging up. I need to eat.”
– Oh, I ate the chicken really well with the gift card you gave me! I swear I ate chicken all week long.
“No wonder the phone’s been smelling like chicken poop this whole time.”
– What.
Click.
I ended the call and finished my meal.
After leaving the City of Beginnings, I wondered what goal I should set for myself.
Thanks to Kang Ju-hyuk, I could set my goal clearly.
‘First priority: leveling up.’
That’s my first objective.
I had originally planned to look around and see what had changed compared to First, and even brainstorm ways to earn money as a Dark Gamer.
But my mind changed.
First, I would raise my level.
To participate in the Second Crown that would open next week.
And after that.
‘Quests.’
The main scenario Quest I received upon advancing to All Master—Omen of Great Evil.
Since it was an important Quest, I wanted to challenge it soon, and if my level was sufficient, I might be able to level up faster than in other hunting grounds.
After setting my goals that way and researching my next destination through searches.
[ The Second World. ]
[ Welcome to ‘Second’. ]
I immediately lay in the capsule and logged into Second.
* * *
The moment I logged into the game, where I headed was.
[ West Gate of Starting City ]
The Western Gate, also called the Beginner Hunting Ground.
All beginners, after completing their graduation exam, move to the next city through this gate.
The City of Beginnings itself wasn’t a typical field but a space where only beginners level 10 and below could exist.
“Guard Captain.”
Hans, the Guard Captain of the Western Gate.
I had to speak to this NPC to receive guidance and escape the City of Beginnings.
But.
“Oh, it’s you! Adventurer Mir! I’ve been waiting for you!”
Hans’s eyes sparkled the moment he saw me, and he approached and grabbed my hand.
I wondered if he reacted this way to all beginners, but his next words suggested otherwise.
“I was just about to report your Achievement to headquarters and received their response!”
He had said he would report the Achievement of defeating the Big Slime to headquarters.
It wasn’t just a formality—he had actually submitted a report to his superiors.
“First, here’s the reward money. I properly advocated for the threat of the Big Slime recently and brought back additional compensation!”
“Thank you. You didn’t have to go this far.”
“What are you saying! After showing such accomplishments, of course you deserve your share! And this isn’t the end!”
Hans handed me a new item along with the gold.
The identity of the item I received was none other than a scroll.
I wasn’t sure what it contained, but at the end was a large seal from the City of Beginning Guard.
“It’s a letter of recommendation stating that the City of Beginnings recognizes your abilities!”
“A letter of recommendation?”
“It’s like an official certificate. If you take this to the Labelt Guard Corps, you’ll be able to apply for missions with the Labelt Guard Corps.”
Missions from the Labelt Guard Corps.
Labelt itself was a city that didn’t exist in First but was newly created in Second.
But I knew.
I understood that quests in this format offered greater rewards compared to other quests.
Especially if it was a Guard Corps mission that clearly seemed related to monster hunting.
‘There’s nothing better than this for leveling up.’
Enormous experience points would undoubtedly pour in.
However.
“You can’t simply rush over and ask to join the mission right away. Since Labelt is a major city, the difficulty of its missions is correspondingly high.”
“Then when should I visit?”
“According to adventurers’ standards… level 150 would be the baseline. That’s the absolute minimum, and realistically you’d need to surpass level 200.”
It wasn’t a quest I could start immediately.
The quest’s starting condition was level 150, after all.
Well, it didn’t matter.
I’d already devised a strategy for leveling up the moment I arrived at the City of Beginnings.
There was no problem taking the linked quest slowly.
[ Linked Quest ‘Labelt Guard Corps’ has been created. ]
Rank: Heroic
Description: You hunted Big Slimes in the City of Beginnings and earned recognition from the Guard Corps.
Travel to the Labelt Guard Corps to receive your Achievement reward.
Objective: Reach level 150 or higher, then submit a letter of recommendation to the Labelt Guard Corps.
The quest window materialized before my eyes.
Seeing this, I was certain that much had been added compared to First.
Such quests didn’t exist in First.
It wasn’t merely the quests themselves—the artificial intelligence level of the NPCs themselves was different.
Just looking at Hans before me, he felt like a genuinely living person.
“Thank you.”
As I offered my gratitude, Hans smiled with evident pleasure and spoke.
“The path lies that way! I’ll be waiting here to hear your name!”
“Thank you, Hans.”
“Travel safely!”
Thus, exchanging final farewells with Hans.
I finally departed the City of Beginnings and began my journey toward Labelt, the grand metropolis that served as the heart of Second.

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