The Return of the Genius Ranker’s Myth Warehouse - Chapter 304

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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 304
Chapter 304
The sorcerers possessed considerable skill.
The sorcerers gathered here were undoubtedly the Desert’s finest, regardless of what anyone said.
Their failure to recognize the mirage stemmed not from insufficient ability.
Even Mir would not have immediately identified the mirage without the Dragon’s Eye and his experience in First.
Precisely because of this, the moment the Desert Dragon and monsters dispersed.
“A mirage…?”
“Surely, that was truly a mirage?”
“Yes. I once read in ancient mythology that the Desert’s demon wielded such power long ago.”
“Even we failed to recognize the mirage.”
“Then, what of him? Mir, how did you perceive the mirage?”
The sorcerers could discern the nature of this phenomenon.
The warriors listening to this exchange could only feel bewildered.
“That was a mirage?”
“Impossible. The sand was displaced where the monsters emerged, and we heard their roars distinctly….”
The sorcerers shook their heads and offered their explanation.
“No ordinary mirage, this. A mirage woven from mana. One might call it a tangible illusion.”
“A tangible illusion? How does that make sense?”
“It does. The ultimate sorcery that illusionists aspire toward is precisely the materialization of illusion.”
“Then….”
“Had we not recognized the illusion for what it was, we would have been torn to shreds in its grasp.”
“How could such a mirage manifest? Could it be that one of our sorcerers disapproved of the Expedition Party…!”
“No. Even the Desert’s greatest sorcerer could not. No, even if all the Grand Sorcerers here united their strength, they could not recreate such a mirage.”
“What? Then the mirage from moments ago….”
“It must be connected to the Great Pyramid.”
The sorcerers assessed the situation with cold clarity.
The mirage was undoubtedly linked to the Great Pyramid.
No other explanation made sense.
Though the true nature of the Great Pyramid—which had suddenly appeared and was causing the Desert’s submersion—remained unknown, it was certain that the Great Pyramid, as if possessed of life, had deployed the mirage to obstruct the Expedition Party’s approach.
“Then, how could an outsider perceive a mirage that even the Grand Sorcerers overlooked….”
“We share that question… but what is certain is that, as the Alliance Leader said, the likelihood that he truly defeated the Evil God has increased significantly.”
“The Evil God!”
“No, even that is insufficient. We sorcerers are already convinced.”
Though the Alliance Leader had acknowledged Mir.
The warriors, while pretending to accept his words, found it difficult to believe the absurd claim that he had defeated both the Evil God and the Assassin.
But in this very moment.
At least the sorcerers could be certain.
That the Alliance Leader’s words were truth.
The display Mir had just shown was that impressive.
And in the Great Desert, a sorcerer was not simply someone who wielded powerful magic like the Empire’s Sage.
A tribal Elder—aged, wise, and steeped in the knowledge of life.
A figure revered by their people.
That was what a sorcerer truly was.
“If the sorcerers speak thus, then we shall think the same.”
“With the Evil God, the Assassins, and the submersion threatening us… we cannot waver or lose faith in our leader during the Desert’s darkest hour.”
The warriors respected their words as well.
In that moment, every member of the Expedition Party began to place genuine trust in Mir.
* * *
After the crisis had been resolved.
I logged out to rest and close my eyes for even a moment.
But I couldn’t afford to rest for long.
If I didn’t log back in, the Expedition Party’s advance would stall as well.
I barely managed to catch a few minutes of sleep, downed a calorie shake in one go, and immediately logged back into the game.
But then.
“Commander, you’ve returned!”
“Did you rest well?”
“We saved your meal—I’ll reheat it and bring it right away!”
“You must have accumulated fatigue from overexerting your mana. Allow me to cast the Desert’s Blessing upon you.”
“This is our tribe’s sacred elixir—would you care to try some?”
“…?”
The Expedition Party’s demeanor had changed.
Before, they had merely nodded along to the Alliance Leader’s words and followed me on the surface.
But now it was different.
They were following me with genuine sincerity.
Even the proud Grand Sorcerers had drawn close, casting blessings upon me and offering their sacred elixirs.
I couldn’t help but wonder what was happening.
“You know how Mir broke through that mirage? That really impressed the sorcerers! And everyone’s acknowledging that you defeated the Evil God!”
“I see.”
Rashid quickly approached and explained the situation to me.
It was a bit bewildering, but I wasn’t complaining.
With the Great Pyramid conquest ahead and uncertainty about what might unfold, having them follow my lead faithfully would make conquering the Great Pyramid that much easier.
“We shall depart.”
“Yes!”
“We follow you!”
“The horses have rested sufficiently, so they’ll be able to run much longer than usual!”
Well, my task remained the same regardless.
Move toward the Great Pyramid.
That was all.
“I’m so relieved! I felt so wronged when the warriors doubted Mir’s achievements! But now everyone believes in you!”
“It doesn’t matter. As long as we conquer the Dungeon successfully.”
“So you’re saying the truth of saving the Desert is more important than what people gossip about? Just as expected, Apostle! Or should I say, Mir!”
I was the one being recognized, but Rashid seemed to enjoy it far more than I did.
Having completely adapted to the Sand Lizard’s speed and the dizziness it caused, he chattered away incessantly from behind.
Then.
“Oh, that’s right! I need to return the Gold to you, but I completely forgot!”
“Gold?”
“The Gold you gave me to bet on the tournament! I used all the money you gave me, even after hiring people, to place bets!”
“Ah, that.”
“Everyone was saying the Desert people had to win, so there was a reluctance to bet on you, Mir. The payout was enormous! I left it with the bank, so I’ll return it to you as soon as we get back to the Alliance!”
Rashid brought up the unexpected news.
Winnings.
I had given Rashid money as travel funds, and he had bet it all on me to earn more. Then I gave him my own money to bet as well.
It seemed he had truly bet everything.
Though it was in the latter stages, because it was the latter stages when large sums were moving, the Gold he had won would be substantial.
“Thank you. I’ll make sure to give you a proper commission.”
“No, no! This was for you, Mir! I couldn’t possibly accept a commission!”
“Really?”
“Well, it would be rude to refuse either, wouldn’t it? If you’re offering, Mir, I’ll gratefully accept!”
“Alright.”
As I chatted with Rashid, the Expedition Party’s mounts began to tire.
After a brief rest, we set out again.
Repeating this cycle.
“It looks like we’ll arrive if we just go a bit further for another half day!”
“Is that so?”
The distance to the Great Pyramid was steadily decreasing.
As we advanced, I diligently continued my work during each rest period.
First, I replenished the mana in the Eternal Crystal that I had used to dispel the mirage.
The Eternal Crystal naturally absorbs mana from the air and recovers mana even when left alone, but it’s also possible to directly infuse mana into it to replenish it quickly.
Next.
[ Your first alchemy has succeeded. ]
[ Judgment: Transcendent Success ]
[ Eternal Crystal ]
I began creating a new Eternal Crystal using high-grade mana stones.
It took a long time to create the first Eternal Crystal, but now that I knew the recipe, the second one didn’t take nearly as long.
Thanks to that, I was able to convert most of the high-grade mana stones I had into Eternal Crystals.
Of course, in the process, an enormous number of low-grade mana stones and various materials were consumed….
‘This is the right call.’
Though it may seem like a loss in the short term, thinking about the future, this is the correct decision.
With that thought, I successfully converted all my high-grade mana stones into Eternal Crystals.
Now only one thing remained.
‘Can I make this work too?’
I pulled out a single item I had obtained after defeating the Blue Spirit God.
[ Mythic-Grade Mana Stone of the Blue Evil God ]
This too was a mana stone.
No, it was far from an ordinary mana stone.
Since it was a mythic-grade mana stone inscribed with the Evil God’s name, it was undoubtedly an item of special-grade quality or higher.
If I could modify this just like the Eternal Crystal…
I would be able to periodically draw upon the mana contained within this mythic-grade mana stone.
This would undoubtedly prove invaluable when hunting the remaining Evil Gods ahead.
With that thought, I conjured various combination methods in my mind.
There was only one chance.
Based on the Eternal Crystal’s combination formula, I deliberated on what materials to use and how to employ them to modify the Evil God’s mana stone.
Then, at that moment.
“Mir! Look! That must be the Great Pyramid!”
It finally came into view.
Our objective.
The Great Pyramid.
And immediately, a scene of utter desolation began to fill our entire field of vision.
“Is that the Great Submersion the Alliance Leader mentioned…?”
“Good heavens…”
“It’s far larger than I heard.”
“The submersion range must have expanded even further in this short time. Even as we speak.”
“If the submersion continues like this…”
“The entire Desert will sink into that Abyss.”
The Desert had submerged.
The glittering grains of sand that once appeared everywhere in the Desert had vanished entirely.
All that remained was an endless Abyss.
Only pitch-black darkness, as if a bottom didn’t even exist.
And upon that Abyss, only the colossal Pyramid stood alone.
Normally, pyramids were considered sacred relics that the Desert people held in reverence.
But that Pyramid now displayed only the ruin and dread of the Desert.
The problem was.
“How are we supposed to reach the Great Pyramid?”
“This is troublesome.”
“There’s no path at all.”
“How is that Pyramid even floating?”
“This is ominous.”
The Great Pyramid was suspended in the center of the submerged Desert.
To conquer the Pyramid, we would have to leap across this bottomless Abyss.
If the submersion had only just begun, perhaps there would be a way—but now that time has passed and the Abyss has widened like a lake, how could anyone possibly reach the Pyramid?
‘For me, using a flying mount would be quick enough, but….’
I’m not the problem.
I have more than just the Sand Lizard at my disposal, and if I summon a new flying mount, I could arrive in no time.
However, that method would mean leaving the Expedition Party behind.
I briefly considered abandoning the Expedition Party and conquering the Pyramid alone, but….
‘This legendary-tier linked Quest wouldn’t have summoned all the Desert’s strongest warriors if it were something I could conquer by myself.’
The Quest’s ranking system is quite sophisticated.
They wouldn’t have assembled so many powerful warriors if the Pyramid were something I could conquer alone.
In such cases, regardless of raw combat power, there was a high probability the Dungeon was impossible to conquer solo.
Either a specific number of people was required to enter, or an overwhelming number of monsters had to be faced.
Something like that.
Therefore, if I wanted to properly conquer the Pyramid, bringing the Expedition Party was the right call.
Then the remaining problem was simple.
How to get them to the Pyramid.
“I will create a path.”
“Commander?”
“Create a path? What do you mean by that?”
Well, I had a plan.
In the past, I would have dismissed this option as wasteful, but now that I’d converted all my premium magic stones into Eternal Crystals, I had a method without burden.
With that thought, I grasped an Eternal Crystal and stood before the submerging Desert.
Then.
– Using 4-Circle Earth Magic ‘Sand Bridge’.
An applied magic of the 4-Circle.
I activated Sand Bridge.
Even as applied magic, the principle was simple.
All I needed to do was lay down the earth magic ‘Sand Wall’ horizontally.
Especially in terrain like this desert, it was magic that could be used efficiently by drawing on the surrounding sand.
However, even if efficient, there were limits.
Creating a bridge with my mana alone that could cross the Abyss and guide the Expedition Party to the Pyramid was impossible.
For that reason.
Whoooosh!
I drew the mana from the Eternal Crystal in my hand and explosively expanded the range of Sand Bridge.
Then.
Rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble!
“A, a bridge!”
“Impossible!”
“No sorcerer in the Desert—no, even if every sorcerer in the Desert gathered, they couldn’t manifest sand sorcery of this magnitude!”
“Just as the Sandclaw Clan said, could this person truly be an Apostle of the Desert God…?”
Before me.
A massive sand bridge began to form, connecting the Great Desert and the Pyramid.

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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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