The Return of the Genius Ranker’s Myth Warehouse - Chapter 25

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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 25
Chapter 25
“Minotaur’s Axe for sale!”
“Looking for party members for the ‘Orc Search’ Quest! We have two warriors and a healer, so we need ranged users!”
“Handmade potions crafted by a level 100 alchemist, various types available. Come take a look!”
“We buy monster materials of all kinds! We pay more than the general store!”
“The Family Guild is recruiting members! Family-like atmosphere!”
The area outside the alley was packed with far more users than the scouts gathered right outside the City Gate.
Tents were pitched, goods were being sold on the street, people held signs recruiting for parties—
Truly, a diverse array of users was visible.
‘Is this a marketplace?’
I suspected it was some kind of marketplace where users gathered to buy and sell items.
Or rather, seeing them recruit guild members and party members too, it seemed more like a universal gathering street.
‘How fascinating.’
My eyes widened as if I’d stepped into a night market from childhood.
Well, it was unavoidable.
First had never had this many users.
Such a marketplace didn’t even exist there—at best, only a few items were being traded on the unified auction house.
In fact, half of the items listed on that auction house were mine, and they rarely sold at all.
Having experienced First like that, I couldn’t help but find this sight wondrous.
‘So this is roughly the market rate.’
I wandered through the marketplace to get a sense of the prices.
If I bought and sold items without knowing the rates, I could easily get overcharged.
As I continued exploring the marketplace—
“Skewers made from Blade Boar meat for sale! Handmade skewers crafted by a level 50 chef—come taste them!”
“What kind of buff effect does it have?”
“It does raise agility a bit, but not enough to be particularly helpful… Still, I can guarantee the taste!”
I spotted someone selling food.
Normally, when it comes to cooking, you buy it for the satiation you feel after consuming it or the buff effects you receive.
‘So people buy this purely because it tastes good.’
Unlike First, where taste was perfectly implemented, such items apparently sold here.
And not just sold—they were selling incredibly well.
Even I, who had always prioritized efficiency when gaming, became curious about that taste and joined the line.
“Which flavor would you like?”
“Hmm, give me one of each.”
“Sure, here you go. We have salt flavor, soy sauce flavor, and spicy!”
Thanks to the Murderer who graciously attacked me first on the way to Labelt, I had secured a comfortable initial fund.
I had enough money for snacks, so I purchased the skewers with a light heart.
And as I took a bite—
“Wow!”
“How is it? Delicious, right? I used to run a food truck outside, you know!”
An exclamation escaped my lips unbidden.
The moment I bit into the plump chicken, succulent juices burst forth, the tender texture melding perfectly with the savory salt—a holy trinity of flavor.
I couldn’t believe chicken skewers could taste this extraordinary.
In reality, I’d never eaten chicken skewers this delicious before.
I had no idea how many times I’d gasped in amazement since arriving at Labelt.
Second’s realism was that flawlessly perfect.
As I savored one of each of the three varieties of chicken skewers.
A flicker.
“…?”
Black flames suddenly rippled into existence beside my skewers.
It was Luke.
Luke, who never moved unless I called him, was suddenly acting strangely.
“…Don’t tell me you want some?”
– No, sir.
“You’re sure?”
– If it’s inconvenient for you to eat, sir, you may discard it to me.
“It’s delicious though.”
– If you’re full or tired of it, sir, you may discard it to me.
“…No, I’ll buy you one of each.”
– There’s no need to spend gold coins for me, sir….
“You really won’t eat?”
– I’ll gratefully partake, sir.
So Luke did want the chicken skewers.
Luke showing appetite—that was unexpected.
In First, he’d felt like an emotionless NPC, so aside from his designated role, there were no real conversations or requests.
Now that we’d entered Second, even his artificial intelligence seemed to have evolved.
Honestly, I wasn’t sure what benefit there was in feeding Luke chicken skewers.
‘But this much is well within my means.’
A few skewers were a trivial expense.
“You’re back again!”
“One of each again, please.”
“Sure! Just a moment!”
“Actually, could I get two of each flavor instead?”
“Of course!”
Considering Luke’s appetite—the way he could swallow even massive monsters whole—I generously ordered two of each variety.
Then, stepping into a quiet Alley where fewer eyes watched, I tossed him the salt-flavored ones first.
A flicker.
Like a predator consuming its prey.
The black flames surged forth and devoured the skewers whole.
And then.
Crunch!
Crack, crack!
Snap—
Strange sounds emanated from Luke’s mouth.
I could tell he was chewing through the wooden skewer along with the meat, but did it really have to sound like that?
No matter how I listened, it didn’t sound like someone eating chicken skewers at all.
Regardless, it wasn’t long before Luke’s voice rang out after he’d swallowed the skewer whole.
– Ohhh… Ohhhhh!
“How is it? Tasty?”
– Remarkable. Merely charred meat, yet such an exquisite umami flavor rises up. I never imagined human cuisine could taste this delicious.
It was higher praise than I’d expected.
Then again, everything Luke had eaten until now was nothing but the corpses of monsters I’d defeated.
Having only consumed meals to fill his belly rather than savor flavor, it made sense he’d be amazed upon tasting properly prepared food.
Pleased by Luke’s reaction, I tossed him all the remaining chicken skewers.
Crunch, crunch crunch!
Snap, snap.
– Ah, this is like… the umami I felt from the Dark Spider Lord’s essence! No, an even more refined umami—so rich and vivid!
“…Dark Spider Lord? Its essence tasted like soy sauce?”
Crunch! Crunch!
Crunch crunch crunch—
– Master, isn’t this poison!
“That’s spice. This much is actually pretty mild—you don’t like it?”
– Delicious! Like Red Wyvern blood. No, even more stimulating than Fire Dragon’s blood! Such an intense flavor exists in this world!
“I’m glad you’re enjoying it.”
His assessment of the soy sauce and spice flavors was equally positive.
The chicken skewers seemed to suit his palate far better than expected.
Amused by his reactions, I wandered through the marketplace and tossed him several other foods, and each time he made those strange sounds while savoring every bite.
– Ah, such an enchanting flavor. It reminds me of the floral fragrance I felt when I first consumed the Killing Rose…
– This texture! How can meat be so tender? It’s like eating meat just before being digested by a Slime!
– Food can be this sweet? The faint sweetness I barely sensed from the Killing Hornet feels so intensely strong!
It felt like buying snacks for a child who knew nothing of the world.
Besides, snacks didn’t cost that much anyway.
It wasn’t a burden at all.
‘…I hope he doesn’t start refusing to eat monsters because they taste bad.’
This worry did cross my mind.
While it was good that he was eating well, Luke’s ability to consume monsters and lend me their stats was something I desperately needed.
Thinking it probably wouldn’t come to that, I finished exploring the marketplace.
Then I began moving toward my true objective.
“They said it was toward City Center.”
My current goal is rapid leveling.
With that in mind, the first place I decided to visit was none other than.
“Here.”
[ Hunter Guild ]
This place.
The Hunter Guild.
It was a place where various quests were undertaken, but to put it simply, it was where monster-related quests were completed.
Hunting monsters, capturing them, repelling them, and so forth.
Depending on rank, one undertakes various quests and receives corresponding rewards and experience points.
It was essentially the most straightforward destination for combat-focused players.
However, to be honest, the quests at the Hunter Guild offered rewards that weren’t particularly high compared to other legitimate quests.
‘Though that varies from person to person.’
It would be different for me.
Rather, I was confident it would be.
Because the Hunter Guild’s quests were precisely what I could call my specialty.
While other decent quests required various elements like lengthy travel routes, communication with NPCs, and information gathering.
Most Hunter Guild quests simply required hunting monsters.
From what I’d learned, even though Second had developed more than First, the types and levels of monsters seemed largely similar.
Therefore, I was confident I could demonstrate expert-level performance against monsters.
Moreover, I possessed items far more reliable than my actual skill level, so I was certain I could complete Hunter Guild quests faster than anyone else.
Click.
Without hesitation, I entered the Hunter Guild.
Being one of the five largest buildings in Labelt, the interior scale was equally impressive.
True to the Hunter Guild’s nature, powerful and rare monster corpses were mounted as taxidermy throughout, with quest boards arranged by rank.
Reception counters handling guidance and settlements were lined up, and the center of the hall was filled with hunters equipped with gear suited to their professions.
Particularly.
“Anyone want to go clear the Dia Wolf pack hunting request together?”
“Is anyone here who received a rare request? I need rare materials, so I won’t take the reward—just take me with you.”
“We’re gathering blade feathers. Please gather around, those with fast movement speed.”
“Looking for a Sage level 50 or above!!”
The back of the hall was crowded with people seeking party members.
Far more people than those I’d seen at the marketplace.
Since Second had opened two years ago, it was systematically divided by level, by quest type, and even by zone.
Regardless.
“First, I need to get this.”
I ignored the crowd and stood before the quest board.
[ F-Rank Quest Board ]
To explain beforehand, the Hunter Guild judges users by ‘rank’ separate from level.
Starting from the lowest F-rank and going up to the highest rank, SSS-rank.
Of course, even when judged by rank, there are set difficulty levels matching one’s level.
The lowest F-rank encompasses hunters level 50 and below.
E-rank goes up to level 100.
D-rank caps at 150, C-rank at 200.
And so the pattern continues.
That said, it doesn’t increase by fifty levels each time—starting from B-rank, the threshold jumps in increments of one hundred levels.
In any case, given my low level and inexperience with commissions, I had no choice but to start with F-rank requests.
“Let me see….”
The F-rank commission board displayed a diverse array of tasks.
Just listing what was immediately visible:
[ Brown Wolf Subjugation ]
[ Goblin Extermination ]
[ Horned Rabbit Horn Collection ]
….
Requests of that nature.
All of them centered on low-level monsters suitable for hunters newly arrived in Labelt at level 10, gradually acclimating up to those around level 50.
Though I’d researched beforehand, seeing them in person sparked genuine interest as I studied the board—when a voice called out from beside me.
“Oh my! Is this your first time visiting? Then allow me to explain!”
It was an NPC from the Hunter Guild.
Likely one assigned to guide newcomers through the Guild’s operations.
“Since you’re new, I’d recommend starting with fox hunting! Goblins tend to be higher level than you’d expect.”
Not that I cared.
I’d already decided which commission to undertake.
“And initially, it’s best to form parties with others and adapt gradually! Working together is always easier and safer than going solo!”
My gaze drifted downward.
To the most remote corner of the board.
A request that appeared weathered compared to the others, having gone unchosen for quite some time, which I now took down.
“W-wait, adventurer?”
The Tower Guide’s eyes widened in bewilderment at my selection.

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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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