The Return of the Genius Ranker’s Myth Warehouse - Chapter 31

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

Chapter 31
Chapter 31
Hunter.
A term for those who hunt monsters.
And the organization formed by gathering such individuals is none other than the Hunter Guild.
As such, the Hunter Guild transcends national boundaries and exists wherever monsters dwell.
However, even if there are many headquarters, there is always one that stands out as the most preeminent.
That place is the Hunter Guild Headquarters located in Labelt, the imperial capital, and the one who governs it is the Grand Master of the Hunter Guild.
A great hunter who was once a member of the Dragon Slayers—Calder Belmont.
And he was now.
“An early promotion request….”
Just moments ago.
He was reviewing documents submitted by the Tower Guide of the Guild.
Early promotion.
A system implemented for exceptional hunters who achieve remarkable feats within the Hunter Guild or accumulate distinguished service.
However, this was only applicable to adventurers who had reached a certain level.
It was hardly a system meant for newly registered adventurers who had just joined the Hunter Guild.
What could this Tower Guide possibly be thinking, submitting such documents?
The Grand Master, driven by curiosity as he reviewed the paperwork, found himself unable to help but take interest.
“In the City of Beginnings, defeated a Big Slime single-handedly and received a recommendation letter from the Guard Corps.”
As the saying goes, a promising sapling shows its quality from the very beginning?
This adventurer.
When I searched for information about Mir, the contents were quite remarkable.
“Obtained the highest rank in the Tower of Beginning and received recognition from all job advancement instructors….”
Typically, for an adventurer of this caliber, there would be very little information to speak of.
But what about this adventurer?
The compiled information was far more than just a line or two.
Gathering all the information received from the City of Beginnings and the Guard Corps, the documents easily exceeded several pages.
“Immediately after graduating from the City of Beginnings, defeated an E-rank level criminal….”
Each achievement was extraordinary.
However, what captured the Grand Master’s attention most was none other than the commissions completed through the Hunter Guild.
“From the very start, perfectly completed five top-tier commissions alone in a single day.”
Kobold Lord extermination.
Coal Golem core retrieval.
Twin vampire bat hunting, and so forth.
These were all commissions that only the most seasoned hunters among F-rank hunters could attempt.
No, that was not even sufficient to describe it.
These were commissions that could only be completed by multiple exceptionally talented hunters among the most seasoned F-rank hunters, forming a proper party with well-coordinated strategies.
And yet.
But.
An adventurer who had barely left the City of Beginnings had completed five top-tier requests in a single day?
It was content that simply defied belief.
The Hunter Guild Headquarters Director, reading this, paused to imagine it.
‘Could I have done it?’
In his prime, he had been a member of the Dragon Slayers.
In his youth, he had displayed talent unmatched by any other, earning universal acclaim.
Yet even he…
‘No, it’s impossible.’
For someone who had just begun their adventure to single-handedly defeat troublesome monsters like the Kobold Lord and Coal Golems was simply impossible.
With sufficient preparation time, it might somehow be feasible, but completing all those requests in a single day seemed impossible no matter how he considered it.
Therefore, if this adventurer had truly accomplished these Achievements…
‘A legend to succeed us would be born. No—a legend that surpasses us.’
They might grow into a legendary adventurer whose deeds would eclipse even the once-celebrated accomplishments of the Dragon Slayers.
The Hunter Guild Headquarters Director, thinking such thoughts,
Calder Belmont,
“Mir, was it? Summon him at once. I wish to see firsthand just how remarkable this one is.”
“Yes, Director.”
To witness the beginning of a legend, Mir was summoned.
* * *
‘What could this be about?’
A summons from the Hunter Guild Headquarters Director, no less.
I wondered what it could mean.
There had been nothing about this in the Quest details.
Could the Tower Guide have found it suspicious that she promoted me early?
No, even if that were the case, it didn’t seem like something the Director would summon me for directly.
Thinking thus, I followed the Tower Guide to the highest floor of the Hunter Guild.
It was the Director’s office, situated at the very pinnacle.
“You may enter directly.”
“No knock?”
“He dislikes formalities and unnecessary etiquette.”
“Ah…”
I could roughly sense what kind of person he was.
I nodded and opened the door to the Director’s office.
Upon entering, I beheld a chamber adorned with countless monster byproducts.
An Arc Lich’s Life Vessel, a Unicorn’s horn, Kraken teeth.
And… a Dragon’s fang.
The man standing at the center of it all.
Upon meeting the Director, the impression I gained was:
‘Formidable.’
The Director’s martial prowess.
Having encountered countless formidable warriors in First, I could discern it with absolute clarity.
Just how powerful the man before me truly was.
By level standards… at minimum, 800 or higher.
Without question, he was undoubtedly among the elite powerhouses within Second’s hierarchy.
And such a man.
“Haha, so you’re the one. The adventurer who’s been emptying Sally’s pockets, I hear. Ah, don’t be nervous—sit right there. I suppose I should offer you some refreshments.”
He was the Director of the Hunter Guild Headquarters.
For now, I decided to comply with his words without resistance.
As I sat in the chair, the Director began slicing something beside me and placed it before me.
“Try some.”
“Thank you.”
It was jerky.
Wondering why he’d suddenly offer jerky, I took a bite—and the flavor exceeded all expectations.
It was incomparable to the beef jerky I’d tasted in reality.
Beyond the distinctive umami of the meat itself, it possessed a clean, tender quality.
“How is it?”
“Delicious.”
“Right? I made this from a wyvern I hunted recently, and it turned out far better than anticipated.”
Wyvern jerky, no less.
It was utterly absurd.
More than that.
I could only marvel at Second’s system for so faithfully recreating the taste of ‘wyvern meat’—something that doesn’t exist in reality.
– ….
Luke was subtly wavering, clearly hinting at me with longing glances.
Unable to help it, I pretended to fumble and dropped a piece—which vanished in black flames beyond the Director’s line of sight.
But then.
“Interesting. Is that a summoned familiar?”
“This is….”
How had he noticed?
The Director glanced beneath the table and detected Luke’s presence.
“Ah, no need to explain. It’s simply a habit I’ve developed climbing to this position. I can see my jerky has caught your familiar’s fancy, so take a piece with you when you leave.”
“No, really, there’s no need….”
– ….
“…Thank you.”
Ever since eating skewered chicken at the marketplace, Luke had grown more interested in food.
Recalling how disappointed he’d be if I refused, I decided to accept the jerky.
Besides, since I’d already been discovered, accepting this much seemed reasonable.
More importantly.
“Congratulations on your promotion. While early promotions aren’t unheard of in the Hunter Guild, this is the first time an F-rank hunter has achieved one.”
“Thank you.”
“There’s no need to be so rigid and tense. I didn’t summon you to prevent your early promotion. Quite the opposite, actually.”
“The opposite?”
“I wanted to see just how impressive you are.”
A sharp tingle.
Suddenly, a strange stimulus rippled across my skin.
That stimulus swelled and surged, crashing down upon me as an overwhelming pressure.
The man before me—the Headquarters Commander—loomed impossibly vast, and I felt myself sinking into the abyss, my breath growing increasingly strangled.
And I knew precisely what this was.
‘Killing intent.’
In Second, killing intent was no mere metaphor or figure of speech.
It was a properly manifested skill.
For a man presumed to be among the strongest in the Second world to wield such a skill—there was no way someone not yet level 50 like myself could resist it.
– You have fallen into the abnormal status ‘Fear’ due to extreme killing intent.
– You have fallen into the abnormal status ‘Stiffness’ due to extreme killing intent.
Fear made my body tremble uncontrollably.
Stiffness locked me in place—no movement permitted save for that involuntary shaking.
An overwhelming status ailment born from an overwhelming level disparity.
I wanted to immediately draw out an item related to status resistance, but in this state, I couldn’t even command Luke.
‘Don’t panic.’
I had to think clearly.
The man before me.
The Headquarters Commander was merely projecting killing intent—there was no sign of actual hostile intent.
For reasons unknown, he was clearly testing me.
If that were the case, then I simply had to take the test.
‘I don’t have to simply endure status ailments. Especially not mental ones.’
Fear, confusion, excitement—
Mental status ailments could be overcome through sheer willpower.
Most users didn’t know this, but if you acknowledged the ailment and calmly resisted, you could significantly shorten its duration.
And I was skilled enough to have overcome even Dragon Fear through this very method.
No matter how potent the killing intent from one of Second’s strongest, I believed I could overcome a test-grade killing intent rather than the genuine article.
But then.
– Master…!
The moment I focused on the status ailment, attempting to break free from it myself—
[ Black Inferno Transformation is activated. ]
My body began to be engulfed in black flames.
Naturally, I had given Luke no command whatsoever.
In fact, I was in no state to issue commands.
Then why was Black Inferno Transformation activating?
Luke had moved like a machine, following only my commands, even through the final moments of First.
Back in First, when I once made a control mistake and took the Golden Dragon’s breath attack head-on, Luke hadn’t moved an inch without my explicit order.
And yet, Luke was lending me his power to protect me.
[ Borrowing the power of ‘Black Flame Dragon, Luke Nihr Desperato Ignockton’. ]
Black Flame Transformation activates, and Luke’s power begins to surge through me.
My Wisdom stat increases, and my abnormal status resistance rises.
This alone made it far easier to resist the killing intent, but Luke’s abilities weren’t simply about raising stats.
While not explicitly noted in the System Message, the power I borrow from Luke includes not just stat increases but various abnormal status resistances as well.
As a result, my abnormal status resistance skyrockets.
– Resisting abnormal status ‘Fear’.
– Resisting abnormal status ‘Petrification’.
I had successfully resisted the Headquarters Director’s killing intent.
And upon witnessing this, the Headquarters Director instantly withdrew his killing intent and burst into laughter.
“Hahahaha! Well, I’ll be! You’re no mere prodigy or genius!”
What did he mean by that?
Could it be that he was saying this because I had overcome the killing intent through Luke’s power rather than my own strength?
But this was my misunderstanding.
“Even without that familiar’s power, you would have escaped my killing intent before long. And the ability to command a familiar of that caliber is itself a formidable talent, wouldn’t you say?”
Luke, judging that the Headquarters Director no longer posed a threat to me, deactivated Black Flame Transformation, and the black flames subsided from my body.
Observing me in this state, the Headquarters Director spoke.
“You entered the Hunter Guild and made a wager with the Tower Guide to receive early promotion precisely to grow stronger quickly, didn’t you? Am I right?”
“That’s correct.”
The Second Crown tournament opens next week.
To compete in that league and perform properly, I needed to raise my level as much as possible within this week.
That was why I had come to the Hunter Guild, and the Headquarters Director had discerned my purpose exactly.
To someone like me,
“I can’t simply stand idle when a talent like you wishes to grow stronger. As a senior, it’s my responsibility!”
The Headquarters Director of the Hunter Guild,
Calder Belmont, extended a red request form—entirely different from those posted on the bulletin board.
“I’ll entrust you with a special commission.”

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