The Return of the Genius Ranker’s Myth Warehouse - Chapter 312

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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 312
Chapter 312
The buff effects from the dish I’d created exceeded all expectations.
[ You have consumed ‘Desert Madness Sand Hell Banquet’. ]
[ Satiety has increased significantly. ]
[ All stats increase substantially in Desert terrain. ]
[ Movement speed increases substantially in Desert terrain. ]
[ Attack speed increases substantially in Desert terrain. ]
….
Though there was the limitation of Desert terrain, simply consuming the food granted substantial increases to most stats.
Since the Pyramid Dungeon itself was recognized as one of the Desert terrains, this wasn’t truly a limitation at all.
Indeed, a Legendary-grade dish.
Though I’d made it myself, the effects truly surpassed my expectations.
I glanced around to see how the others were faring.
“Hmm….”
“This is really…?”
“Ugh….”
They all hesitated to eat.
It seemed they felt awkward consuming food prepared directly by me, the Expedition Party leader.
“Once you’ve finished your meal, we’ll immediately advance to the next floor. The buff effects must be applied, so please consume everything.”
Considering the buff effects, I couldn’t let this pass.
For the sake of the boss battle, they had to finish the food.
Once I said this.
“Come now, what are you all doing! This is food prepared by the Apostle! Pick up your spoons at once!”
“Gulp…!”
“I really can’t eat this. Could you eat some for me…?”
“Same here. How about we feed each other?”
“Alright… gulp? Gulp. Gulp-.”line>
The Expedition Party warriors shook off their hesitation and began picking up their spoons.
The warriors of the Expedition Party shake off their burden and begin to pick up their spoons.
By now, the buff effects of the ‘Desert Madness Sand Hell Banquet’ should be appearing before their eyes.
Or perhaps, since they’re NPCs, the buff effects wouldn’t display?
Either way, it didn’t matter.
With buff effects this potent, they’d feel the difference immediately even without System Messages.
I watched to see how much they’d marvel at these tremendous buff effects.
“Ugh!”
“H-hey, strength is surging….”
“Th-this is the Pyramid’s fault. We had to eat this food because of this Pyramid!”
“I won’t forgive it….”
“Ugh….”
“Come on, eat it all! I finished mine too!”
“But….”
“Don’t you remember what the Apostle said! Everything! All of it! Scrape it clean without leaving a single drop!”
“Hup….”
Everyone was brimming with energy, their movements becoming more vigorous—the buff was clearly taking effect.
Watching them like this filled me with such satisfaction.
Was this what a cook’s happiness felt like?
“I really should have done this sooner.”
If I’d picked up the ladle earlier, everyone would have been this happy, the buff effects would have been stronger, and clearing the Dungeon would have been so much easier.
Feeling that regret now.
“Mir, please have mercy….”
Rashid muttered something incomprehensible beside me.
Regardless, after the Expedition Party finished their meal.
Once personal preparations were complete.
I left the ready Expedition Party behind and stood before the golden gate leading to the 4th Floor Boss Room.
“Entering now.”
Creeeeak.
The massive golden gate opened with surprising lightness.
Not knowing what situation might unfold, I made full preparations to attack the boss monster at any moment before stepping inside.
My vision was bathed in golden light for an instant.
Fortunately, the boss monster ambush I’d worried about didn’t occur.
What entered my vision as the light faded was.
“…A Chess Board?”
An enormous Chess Board.
Well, it resembled a Chess Board most closely, so I called it that, but it wasn’t a perfect Chess Board.
The floor was composed of a vast stone surface, with the stones arranged in alternating dark and light squares.
That’s why it looked exactly like a Chess Board.
However, I wasn’t standing on the Chess Board itself.
I was at the rear of the Chess Board, a position where the vast board could be observed at a glance.
As I continued observing the Chess Board.
“Are those enemies?”
I could spot enemies befitting a Chess Board.
A Mummy King replacing the King’s position.
At the Queen’s position was the Sphinx, guardian of the Pyramid.
On the Rook squares were the Giant Soldiers from the Pyramid I’d just defeated.
Beyond that, there were Scarab cavalry at the Knight positions, burning sand spirits at the Bishop positions, and sand soldiers at the Pawn positions.
A desert fantasy version of Chess pieces was laid out.
The problem was.
‘There are so many.’
Their size and number.
The size naturally matched the actual monsters, and the problem was their quantity….
On a standard Chess Board, there are sixteen pieces per side. In other words, a total of thirty-two pieces exist on one Chess Board.
But the number of pieces visible on the Chess Board before me easily exceeded a hundred at a glance.
Yet on my side, there wasn’t a single piece.
Just as I was wondering what I was supposed to do.
Whoosh!
With a golden gleam, pieces began to materialize on my side of the Chess Board as well.
No, they weren’t pieces.
Their true identity was.
“Huh? Where am I? Kyaaah! What are those things? Ahhhhh, huh? Huh! Mir! Mir!”
“Rashid?”
It was none other than Rashid.
Why had Rashid been summoned up there?
My confusion lasted only a moment.
Rashid tried to rush toward me in delight.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
He collided with an invisible wall and couldn’t leave his position.
To be precise, he couldn’t leave the light-colored platform he was standing on.
And, with this as the beginning.
Whoosh, whip, whoosh!
“Huh?”
“Battle stations!”
“Enemies!”
“Hmm? They’re not moving?”
“Gack! Something’s blocking the way here!”
“Indeed.”
The warriors of the Expedition Party began to appear on their respective platforms.
Like Rashid, they too couldn’t leave the platforms they’d been summoned to.
Some frustrated warriors attempted to swing their weapons or cast spells.
“It’s not working.”
“What is this?”
“Even my spells won’t work….”
They didn’t work.
A transparent glass-like wall based on the platforms was perfectly blocking their movement and attacks.
In that moment.
I could understand.
The trial of the final floor of the Great Pyramid, the 4th Floor.
And, at that very moment, the name of the 4th Floor came to mind.
[ 4th Floor – Path of Dominion ]
That’s right.
Path of Dominion.
True to the 4th Floor’s name, this trial wasn’t about me fighting directly—instead, I had to command the Expedition Party members, who had become my pieces, to overcome the enemy.
The moment I realized this.
– Master, I sense it.
“Sense what?”
– From across the Chess Board, I feel my own aura.
Luke spoke with profound meaning.
“Hahahaha! Quite a number of pieces you have! To ascend this far without discarding a single disposable piece! Remarkable!”
A voice began echoing from the opposite side of the Chess Board.
Its identity was obvious.
Surely the master of those pieces visible there, and the master of the Great Pyramid.
The boss monster of this place.
A roaring flame erupted.
Black flames rose from far away.
There’s no doubt.
Those are definitely Luke’s flames.
What revealed itself alongside those flames was.
“I must offer my praise! You’re the first to bring so many pieces this far without discarding a single one! Hahahaha!”
The Pharaoh.
The Pharaoh sat arrogantly upon a throne of black bone, applauding.
The reason I identified him as the Pharaoh was the ornament he wore upon his head.
It was a headdress known as the traditional ancient crown of the Desert, but unlike its typical form, it was composed of a black and white checkered pattern like a Chess Board.
The problem was the throne upon which this Pharaoh sat.
Black Flame burned atop a throne made of familiar black bone.
“That chair… is it? Something feels off about it.”
– …It appears to be a chair made from my miscellaneous bones.
“Miscellaneous bones?”
– Literally, an assortment of bones. Honestly, there’s no need to absorb them, but if I do, I can recover my strength far more rapidly.
Miscellaneous bones.
I had been eagerly anticipating what kind of body part I would discover this time, and what ability I might gain as a result.
Yet this so-called Pharaoh had merely crafted a chair from Luke’s miscellaneous bones.
I was deeply disappointed.
Still, well.
‘Better than nothing.’
Even if they’re miscellaneous bones, acquiring them would allow me to elevate Luke’s power further, wouldn’t it?
That alone was reason enough to claim them.
I felt somewhat resentful toward the Alliance Leader who had kindled my expectations, but truthfully, he hadn’t lied either.
I had even thought it might come to nothing, yet I did manage to find Luke’s bones properly.
Whether this being knew or didn’t know that the throne upon which he sat was composed of Luke’s ‘miscellaneous bones’.
“Since you’ve brought your pieces so admirably, let us begin the grand match at once! What a delightful diversion after so long! Hahahaha!”
As the Pharaoh let out a hearty laugh.
Kuguguguguuu.
The chess pieces arrayed before the Pharaoh.
The Mummy King and Sphinx, the Giant Soldiers of the Pyramid, and more.
Those that had been bowing began to rise in earnest.
Light kindled in eyes that had been lifeless, and they drew their weapons, aiming them toward our Expedition Party.
“I shall make the opening move! Come now, advance! Sand Soldiers! Clear the path!”
With the Pharaoh’s cry.
The Sand Soldiers, taking the place of pawns in chess, began to move.
In true chess, a pawn can only move forward two squares.
The Chess Board has eight squares across.
So it would be impossible for a pawn to reach the enemy in its first move.
Clang.
As I said, the 4th Floor merely resembled a Chess Board.
From the size of the board itself to the number of pieces.
Everything differed entirely from true chess.
Accordingly, the Sand Soldier moved by the Pharaoh’s command, rushing forward swiftly toward the warrior at the front of our Expedition Party.
Crash!
“Ugh!”
The warrior and the Sand Soldier.
As their squares connected, their battle commenced.
“Hahahaha! Splendid! Soldiers! Is this not exhilarating? The grand match has begun—shake off the dust of ages and move your bodies!”
The Pharaoh’s voice brimmed with delight.
But I paid him little mind.
I desperately observed my surroundings, seeking to uncover the method to conquer the 4th Floor, including that Pharaoh himself.
First.
‘There’s no need for concern.’
The warrior of our Expedition Party currently engaged with the Sand Soldier.
By chess rules, our warrior should lose after being attacked, but as I said, this isn’t true chess.
Despite being attacked, the warrior was defending brilliantly against the Sand Soldier’s assault.
Though not completely overwhelming the enemy, he held the advantage.
The fortunate part was that the other pieces weren’t moving.
Even if not perfectly identical to chess, it seems to follow chess’s fundamental rules.
Therefore.
“Deikan. Support requested.”
“But there’s a transparent wall or something…”
“It should be possible now.”
“Huh? Oh, oh! I can move! I’m going!!”
I too began moving my pieces.
Sure enough, the warrior Deikan, following my command, charged diagonally forward toward the Sand Soldier ahead.
And with that, it began overwhelming the sand soldiers, pushing them back with devastating force.
Watching this unfold, I grasped another crucial truth.
‘The pieces that move during the attacking turn gain even greater offensive power.’
A battle system similar to chess, yet fundamentally different.
Though I managed to topple one sand soldier, the Pharaoh paid it no mind whatsoever.
“Come now, advance! My soldiers! Unfold this grand spectacle for my amusement!”

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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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