The Return of the Genius Ranker’s Myth Warehouse - Chapter 348

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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 348
Chapter 348
Researching mechanical weapons proved far easier than I had anticipated.
Truth be told, this wasn’t my first time.
I had already studied three varieties of mechanical weapons on the Lower Front Line, building a solid foundation of knowledge about them.
Because of that experience.
“Grrrrr.”
“Whirrrr.”
“Kuooooo.”
I successfully repaired and took control of the damaged and malfunctioning Mecha Wolf, Mecha Scorpion, and Mecha Rhino.
They circled around me like living creatures, displaying affection and playfulness.
Mechanical weapons operating under Cronion’s formulas felt somewhat more mechanical in nature.
But the mechanical weapons I had hacked all seemed to have this quality.
Well, that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
It had its own advantages.
Besides, there were various complications in trying to perfectly replicate Cronion’s formulas.
Most importantly.
‘The Evil God’s power is woven into it.’
The formulas originally inscribed within them.
These were not formulas that could be created and used by human strength alone.
The Evil God’s power was unmistakably embedded within them.
Therefore, even I could not perfectly replicate them.
But despite that, I refused to give up.
– Using skill ‘Crafting’.
– Using skill ‘Repair’.
….
I mobilized every production-related skill I possessed and continued my research.
That wasn’t all.
The materials of the mechanical weapons included many that were difficult to process due to their exceptional durability.
– Using skill ‘Black Insect Flash’.
I drilled holes using Black Insect Flash.
– Using skill ‘Crimson Field Blood Claw’.
I cut through materials as hard as steel plates with Crimson Field Blood Claw, adjusting them to the proper specifications.
In the process, I discovered new possibilities for these mythic-grade attack skills.
‘Precision.’
With proper application, I could drill holes as fine as a needle with perfect accuracy.
By wielding my blade with delicate control, I could cut only the desired portions without damaging the material.
If I practiced this, wouldn’t I be able to handle Black Insect Flash and Crimson Field Blood Claw even more perfectly?
As I continued using the skills with that thought in mind, sure enough.
[ Skill ‘Black Insect Flash’ has increased in level. ]
[ The skill level of ‘Crimson Claw’ has increased. ]
As a mythic-grade offensive skill, leveling up these two skills was particularly difficult.
Yet they were rising at an oddly rapid pace.
That wasn’t all.
– I activate the 6th Circle fire magic ‘Flame Cannon’.
6th Circle magic, Flame Cannon.
I wielded this magic skillfully to work with materials.
Flame Cannon wasn’t like the 5th Circle Fire Cannon, which hurled fireballs.
This magic unleashed ultra-high-temperature flame rays.
That was precisely what 6th Circle Flame Cannon was.
Because of this, by skillfully controlling Flame Cannon and firing it at materials, I could heat or melt specific sections. Though it consumed considerable mana, I could refine materials that much faster.
As I continued working this way.
[ Mecha Snake ]
[ Mecha Hornet ]
….
Beyond the three existing mechanical weapons, I succeeded in repairing and subjugating other mechanical weapons I’d faced on the battlefield through hacking.
In truth, this wasn’t the priority.
My current objective was repairing Hellfire and recreating ‘Roar’.
Yet I was repairing these first purely to research and familiarize myself with the concept of mechanical weapons.
However, because Cronion lost morale and surrendered or fled in this battle, I obtained far more mechanical weapons than expected.
And I could repair and subjugate that many mechanical weapons.
Just in case, I’d also developed formulas through research and prepared contingencies for unforeseen circumstances.
It felt wasteful to leave so many accumulated mechanical weapons here….
“Deploy.”
“Kraang!”
“Tsssstt.”
“Shhhit-.”
“Whiiiiiing!”
I decided to send all of them into war.
* * *
Meanwhile.
On the battlefield between the Empire and Cronion.
“Hold the line! Cronion’s bullets are nothing—the Empire’s shields are more than sufficient!”
“Sage and Archer, intercept the incoming grenades and mana cannons!”
“We’re winning!”
“Push forward in one surge!”
“End this war right now!”
The battle raged with fierce intensity.
The Imperial Army and players, their morale soaring to the heavens.
In stark contrast, the battle against Cronion, whose morale scraped the ground.
Thanks to that disparity, the Imperial Army pushed deep into Cronion’s Eastern Region with overwhelming force.
Both the Imperial Army and the players believed the war might end swiftly at this rate.
But reality proved far less forgiving.
“Hold the line!”
“We cannot surrender Cronion!”
“The Sovereign watches over us! Pull the trigger!”
“Fire, fire! Bullets and grenades are abundant! The Mechanical City stands firm behind us! Supplies arrive shortly—keep firing without hesitation!”
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat!
Cronion unleashed a torrent of bullets like rain.
Not merely bullets.
Grenades, mortars, mana cannons, hand grenades—every weapon at their disposal.
They wielded them all without restraint.
This was only possible because the Mechanical City was positioned at a manageable distance behind them.
Furthermore.
“The Demon of the Empire is nothing but illusion!”
“It must have perished alongside Hellfire!”
“Look—the demon dares not show itself!”
The battle between Hellfire and myself had been spectacular, but few soldiers witnessed it directly due to the chaos of combat and the distance involved.
Well, many had actually witnessed it—but most of those who did either surrendered, fled, or lost their lives.
The rest had merely heard rumors.
Moreover, as time passed, the fear had faded considerably.
Most critically, the Demon of the Empire remained unseen.
Thus, Cronion swiftly regained their composure and devoted themselves entirely to defense.
Therefore.
“Damn, this is grueling.”
“The barrage of bullets and iron armor—impossible to breach.”
“The frontline isn’t budging anymore.”
“This is troublesome.”
The Imperial Army found themselves equally unable to push Cronion further.
While the Cronion soldiers’ defense was formidable, the true obstacle lay in their mechanical war machines.
With Cronion consolidated and the Mechanical City positioned directly behind them.
The quantity of mechanical weapons they commanded had grown exponentially.
Since those machines were also dedicated to defense.
Breaking through became nearly impossible.
As the situation deteriorated.
“When will Commander Mir arrive?”
“I wish we could do something about those mechanical weapons.”
“Mir used to commandeer and operate those machines with such prowess. I miss that strength.”
Everyone yearned for Mir.
For Mir’s contributions extended far beyond merely defeating Hellfire.
I seized Cronion’s mechanical weapons and turned them to our side, and each time I cast magic, massive numbers of Cronion soldiers were electrocuted and collapsed.
Had I been there, we could have pushed the front line further.
Such thoughts came naturally to mind.
And then.
“Commander Mir’s reinforcements have arrived!”
“Commander Mir’s?”
New reinforcements had arrived.
Had Commander Mir come personally?
No, the circumstances suggested otherwise.
Then was it reinforcements from the Heukryeom Guild?
That wasn’t it either.
Currently, the Heukryeom Guild was attacking Cronion at the vanguard more than any other guild.
So what could it possibly be?
“Kraaaagh!”
“W-what is that?”
An enormous pack of Mecha Wolves came charging forward in formation.
They endured bullets with their sturdy bodies, evaded grenades and explosives with nimble movements, and tore into Cronion soldiers in an instant.
Boom!
What came flying from behind was a Mecha Scorpion’s mana cannon.
Following that, the Scorpion approached with saw-like pincers swinging, proving extremely menacing.
“Roooar!”
The Mecha Rhino ignored all of Cronion’s attacks with its thick iron plating and charged through their formations.
The other mechanical weapons were no different.
An enormous number of mechanical weapons stood with the Imperial Army, attacking Cronion.
If it had ended there, it would have been somewhat disappointing.
“Look at that!”
“A Mecha Hornet?”
“Did Mecha Hornets originally have attacks like that?”
“That can’t be…”
It wasn’t.
The mechanical weapons displayed far greater power than they had shown before.
Mechanical hornets, Mecha Hornets.
Originally, the Mecha Hornet’s attacks were limited to the stinger on its tail and firearms.
But the Mecha Hornets that appeared as our allies were different.
From their rapidly moving wings, they unleashed a third-circle magic called Shock Wave.
With each shockwave, as the Mecha Hornets passed, Cronion soldiers couldn’t withstand the vibrations and collapsed.
That wasn’t all.
“Kraaagh!”
The Mecha Wolves had Haste automatically cast on them, racing across the battlefield at even greater speeds.
“Roooar!”
The Mecha Rhino, empowered by Strength, bulldozed through enemy ranks with force that was already formidable but now devastatingly amplified.
Beyond that were the Mecha Scorpion firing Thunder Cannons instead of the conventional mana cannons, and the Mecha Snake unleashing Lightning Bolts in all directions rather than bullets.
Every mechanical weapon that had arrived as reinforcement bore magic inscribed upon its frame.
It was as though I were witnessing the lost power of ancient times.
The very technique of Magitech Engineering itself.
The Imperial Army soldiers and adventurers observing this spectacle—
“Everyone, snap to it! Now’s our chance! This is it!”
“Commander Mir is providing us with these magical mechanical weapons!”
“Cronion is faltering! Push straight through to the Mechanical City!”
Seizing this momentum, they pressed their assault against Cronion with renewed ferocity.
The adventurers’ performance was particularly remarkable.
Hungry for glory and contribution, they moved with even greater zeal than the Imperial Army itself, throwing caution to the wind as they cut down Cronion soldiers.
Among them, the guild masters known as Legion Commanders and especially the Parcheon Unit displayed prowess that left jaws agape.
Add to that the strength of Red Wolf, Black Shield, and Ash Dust—
Three Knight Orders combining their power.
“Uaaaaaaaaaah!”
The Imperial Army pressed Cronion’s soldiers with overwhelming force.
“The Mechanical City!”
“We can see the Mechanical City!”
“The end of the war draws near!”
At last, they succeeded in driving the enemy all the way back to Cronion’s capital—the Mechanical City.
* * *
“Commander Mir’s mechanical weapons are performing spectacularly, sir!”
“Is that so?”
“To fuse magic with mechanical weapons! Truly, we could never have imagined such a thing!”
“What is the situation on the front lines?”
“Bolstered by the mechanical weapons’ performance, both the Imperial Army and the adventurers are pushing forward with renewed vigor. Cronion’s momentum has been broken, and they’re retreating toward the Mechanical City.”
“The Mechanical City, then…”
The performance of the mechanical weapons exceeded my expectations.
During the repair and hacking process, I’d applied magical enchantments as a precaution.
I never imagined they would prove this effective.
‘I should apply it to Hellfire as well.’
Originally, I’d only planned to restore Hellfire to its original form and implement its roar.
But my thinking has shifted.
Perhaps it wouldn’t be a bad idea to go beyond mere restoration and apply magic to transform it into a true dragon.
Conquering the Mechanical City?
In my assessment, the conquest of the Mechanical City won’t happen in a short timeframe.
After all, no matter how many troops we have, recklessly assaulting the Mechanical City could result in our complete annihilation instead.
Above all else—
‘The Evil God.’
If I push forward into the Mechanical City, there’s a high probability that the purple Evil God will make an appearance.
Just recalling the remnants of the Evil God dwelling within this Hellfire alone, that Evil God is certain to be far more powerful than any I’ve faced thus far.
Given as much.
‘Hellfire. This will be the strategy for conquering this ordeal.’
All the more reason I must complete Hellfire before the Evil God awakens.

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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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