The Return of the Genius Ranker’s Myth Warehouse - Chapter 291

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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 291
Chapter 291
Fortunately, persuading Tae-ryeon wasn’t difficult.
“There’s no help for it. Without that attack, it would have been impossible to conquer the Blue Spirit God. But I suppose we can’t know who it was?”
“The circumstances make it difficult to reveal their identity.”
“Well, there’s nothing to be done about it.”
– Heh, what a kindhearted young lady.
Thus, I decided to give one of the Blue Evil God’s Magic Stones to the Blue Moon Knight Commander.
Judging by how urgently he needed it, the moment permission was granted, one of the Blue Evil God’s Magic Stones vanished before my eyes.
It seemed he’d used magic, but even I couldn’t discern what spell he’d employed.
With that, my settlement with the Blue Moon Knight Commander was complete.
“How should we settle the other items?”
“Could we each take one of the Blue Evil God’s Magic Stones…?”
“Of course.”
“Thank you. In exchange, we’ll concede more of the premium Magic Stones. We certainly understand that your share is substantial, Mir.”
I could have declined out of courtesy, but I had no intention of being indiscriminately generous.
The Heukryeom Guild and I had both invested time and resources into this conquest.
I needed to receive proper compensation for our efforts.
Thus, I took more of the premium Magic Stones, and we divided the Magic Stones dropped by the ordinary spirits fairly, calculating each party’s contribution.
Then.
Thud, thud.
I felt the presence of someone approaching from behind.
Not our guild members.
Footsteps far more accustomed to the desert.
“Tribe Chief!”
“Rashid. You’re safe. Did you call these people?”
“Yes! They defeated the Evil God and saved us!”
“I see. Those who possess the power of the sun, the desert wind, and the sands themselves… Are you the Apostles of the Desert?”
From Rashid’s reaction, I could discern their identity.
The people of the Sandclaw Tribe that Rashid had mentioned.
The moment the one called Tribe Chief heard our identity from Rashid.
“To our benefactors who protected the Sandclaw Tribe. And to the Apostles of the Desert who came to find us. We offer our gratitude.”
He bowed to us.
So deeply that his forehead touched the sand.
I wasn’t sure what “Apostles of the Desert” meant, but I took it to be a respectful expression of gratitude toward benefactors.
“We offer our gratitude.”
Following the Tribe Chief, the other tribe members also bowed to us.
Though they were called a tribe, their numbers were considerable, and seeing them all bow at once was rather overwhelming.
As they did so, the Tribe Chief slowly rose and approached me, grasping my hand as he spoke.
“Would it be possible for us to invite our benefactors to the Sandclaw Tribe? We wish to repay your kindness according to the ways of the desert, as you have saved our tribe.”
[ Sudden Quest ‘Rescue Request of the Sandclaw Tribe’ has been completed. ]
I exchanged a meaningful glance with Tae-ryeon.
“Thank you.”
I nodded and followed them.
My character had accumulated considerable fatigue from the battle with the Evil God.
Though I had received compensation from the Evil God, there was no reason to refuse when they offered additional rewards.
* * *
With the desert night came the festival of the Sandclaw Tribe.
Whoosh!
A massive bonfire blazed to life in the center of the tribe, surrounded by circular tents.
The flames stretched long and beautiful in the wind, scattering like grains of sand in all directions.
Flames shaped like grains of sand.
Yet when they touched my body, they were not hot at all, and they did not burn the clothes or tents they contacted.
Within that beautiful spectacle.
“Come now, dance!”
“For our benefactors! With gratitude in our hearts!”
“Give thanks to the Apostle of the Desert!”
The desert tribespeople began to dance.
A primal dance, similar to what I’d once seen in a documentary about indigenous peoples.
As the falling sparks of sand overlaid the scene, I was suddenly reminded that Second was truly a fantasy world.
Collecting every item in the game and defeating every monster was worthwhile, certainly.
But wasn’t enjoying these small events in Second equally part of its charm?
“Mir, have you tried this?”
“No.”
“You should try it. It’s chewy and incredibly delicious. I’ve never felt a texture like this before—I’m curious what the ingredients are.”
“It appears to be lizard tail.”
“…Pardon?”
“To be precise, it seems to be made from the tail of a Desert King Lizard. Looking at the skin texture and the protrusions here…”
“Ugh…”
The food of the Sandclaw Tribe was delicious.
Rustic, but with incredible umami.
Especially the grilled and fried dishes made with sand exceeded all expectations.
Because of that.
“Wow! Such cooking exists! Though I suppose India does actually cook with sand!”
“Sand-steamed? Ah, I see! You dig deep into the sand, layer meat and vegetables in a jar, bury it inside…! Magnificent!”
Our Heukryeom Guild’s chef.
Han Seop followed the Sandclaw Tribe’s cooks around like a fish in water, brimming with excitement.
Apparently, he gained inspiration during this time and actually leveled up his cooking skill.
It seemed he also acquired a new recipe and received some bonus as well.
As everyone enjoyed the desert festival.
“So you were here, Apostle of the Desert.”
The Tribe Chief of the Sandclaw Tribe found me and Tae-ryeon where we stood.
Following behind him were Rashid, whom we had first met, and several other tribe members.
Most importantly, they carried an enormous chest.
At first glance, it looked quite luxurious—and it was exactly what I expected.
“This is the promised gift we present to our benefactors who protected the Sandclaw Tribe. Though these treasures alone cannot fully express our gratitude, we humbly ask that you accept them as a token of our sincerity.”
It was the quest reward.
Or was I thinking too much like this was a game?
In any case, the treasure chest opened.
[ Crystal Date Palm ]
[ Golden Sand Crystal ]
[ Sunstone ]
….
“This is….”
“These are the treasures our tribe has gathered from the desert until now.”
“You’re giving all of this?”
“Of course. We are only sorry that even this cannot fully express the debt of gratitude we owe you.”
More treasures came into view than what Rashid had mentioned.
They were treasures of considerable quality, and while I felt somewhat burdened that they were offering all of them rather than asking me to choose one, I understood the gesture.
“I accept with gratitude.”
The Tribe Chief even bowed, urging me to accept his sincerity. To refuse would have been disrespectful, so I accepted the reward.
The Tribe Chief seemed unaware of the relationship between Tae-ryeon and me, so I postponed dividing the items with her for later.
We naturally settled into a conversation with the Tribe Chief, who had taken a seat before us.
“Without you benefactors, our tribe would have surely become nothing but grains of sand scattered across the desert.”
At first, it was merely words of gratitude.
But as time passed….
“It was truly magnificent. The form of a hawk made of wind—it was as if the very sky itself had become divine punishment, chastising the Evil God.”
His words shifted to praise of my attacks.
“A hawk’s form?”
“It was the first attack I used.”
“Ah….”
Tae-ryeon tilted her head in confusion.
Though she had arrived at the battlefield quickly, she had been preparing her own attack and hadn’t properly witnessed the technique I had unleashed.
“The power you displayed next was equally tremendous. The way the entire desert rippled at your will, swallowing the Apostle and the spirits….”
“The heat rising from the ascending sun melting the Evil God and the spirits—it was like witnessing a sunrise, where night passes and darkness and malevolent forces retreat.”
The Tribe Chief’s praise continued.
After these three attacks came the massive storm clouds, torrential rain, and thunder and lightning that Tae-ryeon had unleashed.
Because of this, Tae-ryeon had perked up her ears, secretly hoping he would praise her attack as well.
“The dragon’s roar you displayed afterward was equally spectacular. It further confirmed your identity as the Apostle….”
Tae-ryeon’s contributions were mercilessly omitted.
However, strange words reached my ears from his speech.
“…Identity? It seems there’s been a misunderstanding, but I’m not some Apostle of the Desert or anything like that….”
“Ah, my apologies. I hadn’t considered that you were concealing your identity to assess the current situation in the Desert. Forgive me.”
“No, that’s not what I meant….”
“I swear upon my position as Tribe Chief. I will never carelessly spread word of your identity.”
He seemed to be under a serious misunderstanding.
Even when I denied it, he wouldn’t listen.
Strangely, I recalled something similar happening in the Kalbera Territory.
As I felt an odd sense of déjà vu, the Tribe Chief continued speaking.
“In particular, the form you briefly displayed as an Apostle was truly magnificent. No, magnificent hardly captures it—it was so extraordinary that I regret my vocabulary is insufficient to do it justice.”
Since the Tribe Chief showed no signs of finishing, I was contemplating whether to rise from my seat.
Then, unexpected information spilled from the Tribe Chief’s lips.
“The ‘Black Dragon Scale’ that will be awarded to the victor of the tournament to be held in the Alliance soon—your appearance brought it to mind.”
Black Dragon Scale.
The moment I heard those words, only one thing came to mind.
“Luke.”
– I cannot be certain from those words alone, but dragon scales definitely exist among the scattered parts.
Luke’s body parts.
Could the Black Dragon Scale the Tribe Chief mentioned be Luke’s scales?
With that thought, I couldn’t help but take interest in what the Tribe Chief was saying.
“Would you tell me more details about that?”
“Are you interested? Countless tribes inhabit our Great Desert, and in the center of the Desert stands the ‘Golden Sand Tribe Alliance’—a symbol of peace among the tribes.”
“I’m aware of that. But what tournament are you referring to?”
“Once a year. A tournament that gathers the greatest warriors from each tribe to select the Desert’s mightiest warrior. The Alliance Leader has promised the ‘Black Dragon Scale’ as the prize for this tournament.”
This was information I absolutely could not overlook.
A tournament with the Black Dragon Scale as the prize.
How could I simply pass up a tournament where Luke’s scales might be offered as a reward?
“Would I be able to participate?”
“Only the greatest warrior from each tribe may participate in the tournament, but….”
The Tribe Chief paused briefly before continuing quickly.
“There are cases where a tribe chief does not send their own warrior, and instead recommends an outsider through a letter of recommendation.”
A positive answer.
However, recommending me would mean they couldn’t send their own warrior.
I felt hesitant to ask them to recommend me.
“As it happens, Shatlak, our Sandclaw Tribe’s greatest warrior, suffered an injury from the Evil God and cannot participate. If you’re interested, I would be honored to recommend you as an Apostle through the Tribe Chief’s name.”
“Are you certain that would be acceptable?”
“If this allows me to repay even a portion of the debt I owe you, not just Shatlak but all our tribespeople would be delighted.”
Fortunately, the Sandclaw Tribe also seemed to be in a difficult position to send a warrior immediately.
If that were the case, there was no reason to refuse.
According to my original plan, since I had defeated the Evil God, my business in the Western Region was complete, and I intended to return directly to the Kalbera Territory.
“Then, I shall entrust this to you.”
“To think the Sandclaw Tribe can present the Apostle as our representative—we are the ones who should be grateful.”
The plan had shifted.
All for the sake of acquiring merchandise that might be Luke’s scales.
My next destination was set: the heart of the Great Desert, the Golden Sand Tribe Alliance.

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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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