The Return of the Genius Ranker’s Myth Warehouse - Chapter 374

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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 374
Chapter 374
Lava Serpent.
The path toward it was anything but smooth.
“Grrrrgh….”
Skulls crawling out from the Lava Lake.
No, at this very moment, skulls continued to emerge endlessly, blocking my path without cessation.
“Leave the skulls to us!”
Thwack!
An arrow flew from behind, piercing cleanly through the skull of a charging skeleton directly in front of me.
My team members were inherently strong, and the skulls were now chilled by the rain of ice I had unleashed, their movements sluggish and slow.
Thanks to that, my teammates were effectively intercepting the skeletal creatures.
Of course.
“Grrgh….”
“Grrrrgh….”
As I approached right up to the edge of the Lava Lake to reach the serpent, that support became meaningless.
Since all those skulls were rising from the Lava Lake.
As I neared the lake, so many skulls were emerging that my teammates could no longer contain them.
I couldn’t wait for my team’s support any longer.
[ Using Black Flame Transformation. ]
[ Borrowing the power of the Black Flame Dragon, Lucknir Desperate Ignoxtan. ]
The moment I activated Black Flame Transformation.
[ Tidal Blade ]
( Non-Tradeable )
Type: Sword
Grade: Legendary
Requirement: Level 700 or higher, Sword Mastery Lv 70 or higher
Description: A blade of quiet waves, said to be honed from the sharp tides of the sea.
I drew the legendary sword.
– Using the skill ‘Crimson Claw Tide’.
I swung it horizontally toward the skulls.
It was a powerful strike meant to cleave through the path ahead.
Screech!
The sword energy that erupted was far more potent than I had anticipated.
Since the Tidal Blade possessed water properties, it was certainly a formidable weapon against those skulls moving around the lava.
Yet even accounting for that, the power exceeded my imagination.
And the reason was clear.
[ Purple Mechanical God’s Dominion ]
My exclusive set equipment that I had equipped before entering combat.
Its effect greatly amplified the Evil God’s skill ‘Crimson Claw Tide’.
Far exceeding what I had anticipated.
Crumble—
With the skeletons collapsed, the situation at the Lava Lake became far clearer.
‘So I’m supposed to fight while treading on those.’
Naturally, I had to face the Imoogi in the center of the lake, but it wasn’t as simple as just having the lake itself.
The Lava Imoogi was a legitimate boss target, and like any game, there had to be a strategy prepared for its defeat.
In that sense, what had been prepared to conquer the Imoogi were the skeletons floating upon the Lava Lake.
Large and small skulls that didn’t even rise to their feet at the Imoogi’s roar.
Treading upon them to move and fight the Imoogi would be the framework of the Imoogi strategy.
Well, I could wear the ‘Turbulent Magma’ set for that, but….
‘That wouldn’t provide enough attack power.’
My opponent was no ordinary monster.
A boss monster far stronger than I had anticipated.
The Lava Imoogi.
To properly face that creature, I needed to equip the ‘Purple Mechanical God’s Reign’ set I was currently wearing.
In other words, I too would have to tread upon those and move.
Fighting the Imoogi while treading on sparsely scattered skulls.
It seemed like an impossibly difficult condition.
‘This much is child’s play.’
Who am I?
I had conquered every dungeon in First and collected every item.
I had conquered boss monsters while treading on water lilies floating above the Swampland’s deadly toxins, or while treading on drifting wood debris floating upon the Sea.
I had even conquered boss monsters by leaping across flying birds soaring through the sky.
Whether it’s a Lava Lake or anything else, the strategy is no different from those.
Whoosh!
Brief deliberation.
Swift action.
I immediately leaped onto the skulls floating above the lava.
Yul-ha did the same.
“I’ll follow you!”
Reading my intent, she immediately leaped onto the skulls after me.
For someone experiencing this for the first time, leaping onto skulls above the lava would naturally cause hesitation.
But Yul-ha, as expected?
Not only did she show no hesitation, but her movements were equally nimble as mine.
However.
“Kraaaaaaaaaaa—!”
The Lava Imoogi did not simply watch us.
As its massive body writhed, a colossal wave erupted from its form.
A wave composed of lava.
To evade it, I leaped high into the air, and prevented the creature from preparing its next attack.
[ Nereid’s Bow ]
( Non-Tradeable )
Type: Bow
Grade: Mythic
Restrictions: Level 600 or higher, Bow Mastery Lv 60 or higher, Agility 2,000 or higher
Description: A bow of the sea, said to have been wielded by Nereid, daughter of Nereus and Doris and a sea spirit, when she saved sailors in peril.
I drew the bow while suspended in mid-air.
– Using skill ‘Silver Bird Soul Chase’.
I drew the bowstring taut toward the water serpent.
Whoosh!
The arrow streaked forward with blinding speed.
True to its nature as a mythic-grade water-attribute weapon, the arrow blazed forth with tremendous aquatic power, and under the influence of Silver Bird Soul Chase, its trajectory shimmered with silver light.
Silver Bird Soul Chase itself was greatly amplified thanks to the Purple Mechanical God’s Dominion set, causing its speed to surge dramatically, and as a result.
Thud!
“CRAAAAAACK!”
Beyond merely unleashing a tidal wave of lava.
The arrow burrowed straight into the water serpent’s jaw just as it was about to spew molten fire upon us.
In that moment when its attack halted.
“I’ll close in now!”
“Got it!”
I landed atop a newly emerged skull, clearing the lava waves.
Then I charged toward the water serpent once more.
The creature’s thrashing spawned countless smaller waves around us.
– Using skill ‘White Fish Swimming’.
I moved swiftly, employing White Fish Swimming to navigate the chaos.
‘Fast.’
A scorching wave of lava swept past inches from my side.
Indeed, White Fish Swimming’s speed was also greatly enhanced.
Glancing beside me, I saw Yul-ha narrowly dodging the waves as she followed close behind.
Confirming this, I reached the water serpent’s front first and drew out the Tidal Blade I had wielded earlier.
– Using skill ‘Black Insect Flash’.
I drove the enhanced Black Insect Flash deep between the creature’s scales.
A water serpent of this caliber possessed formidable defense; attacks rarely penetrated unless they struck a vital point.
Squelch!
But Black Insect Flash, amplified by the Purple Mechanical God’s Dominion set, made it possible.
Even though it was a precise strike between the scales, the blade sank in completely.
Maintaining that position.
– Using skill ‘Azure Soul Demon Spirit’.
– Using 6-Circle water magic ‘Water Blaster’.
– Using Tidal Blade’s unique skill, ‘Waves of Dawn’.
Three forces converged.
Whoooosh!!
They erupted simultaneously from within the Imoogi’s body.
Torrents of water bursting through the gaps between scales.
Even if it wasn’t a vital point, a water bomb of this magnitude detonating inside its body would cause catastrophic damage.
“Kraaaaaaack-!!”
Beyond mere pain, the creature had no choice but to suffer tremendous injury.
In that instant, it thrashed violently and drove its head toward me.
I’d thrust my blade too deeply, and wasted time activating both magic and the sword’s inherent skills, leaving no room to dodge.
I released the deeply embedded sword without hesitation.
[ Ancient Titan’s Shield ]
( Non-Tradeable )
Form: Shield
Grade: Legendary
I drew forth the colossal shield.
– Activating skill ‘Jade Stone Bastion’.
Thoom!
I blocked its assault.
I’d braced myself for far greater impact.
Thanks to the enhanced Jade Stone Bastion, the shock was considerably reduced.
In that moment.
“Mir!”
“Target the area where I struck!”
“Got it!”
Yul-ha rushed forward and drew the ‘Crowned One’s Longsword’.
Screeeech!
She attacked the wound I’d created.
Though not a vital point, the explosion had damaged the scales, and the defensive power at the wounded site had plummeted significantly.
Her blade drove deep into the weakened flesh.
“Kraaaack! Barbaric humans!”
At that moment.
The Imoogi pressing down on me began to speak.
Of course, with its ascension imminent, it was only natural that it could produce language.
However, the creature’s speech was not meant for dialogue with us.
“Cease your futile struggling and become nourishment for this body, who shall soon ascend as an Evil Dragon and mock the world!”
It was meant as a threat.
And to prove its threat was more than mere words.
Boom boom boom crash!!
The creature began to unleash its divine powers in earnest.
Pillars of flame erupting from all corners of the Lava Lake.
No, a Lava Pillar.
Threatening in itself, but the real problem is.
Drip, drip—.
Sizzzzle!
The lava raining down as the surging magma falls from above.
My ‘Aqua Rain’ that I had deployed was already scattered by the pillar of fire.
What’s falling now is lava rain that’s devastatingly dangerous just from contact.
Because of this, not only my combat difficulty increased, but Yul-ha and Team 1’s as well.
But even in such circumstances.
‘Found it.’
I was able to locate it.
The Orb of Will of the lava Imoogi, which had begun to reveal its presence by fully displaying its divine power.
Through Luke’s dark eyes, which I had been concentrating on since earlier, I began to see the Orb of Will radiating power as hot as lava from within its body.
* * *
After Mir defeated Jeok-hwa.
Mir was increasingly recognized in public as the unofficial number one ranker in Korea.
Even though Yul-ha held the official top ranking, that was merely a criterion created by level alone.
Still.
‘Not yet.’
Yul-ha thought.
She still believed she could surpass Mir.
Mir was someone she had respected since First, but didn’t she have more game experience in Second than him?
Even if Mir was remarkable, she thought she could still stand shoulder to shoulder with him.
No, she thought she would be slightly ahead.
But.
Screeeech!
When Mir swung her sword before the Lava Lake.
She couldn’t help but be shocked.
Mir’s sword strike was far beyond what she had anticipated.
No, it was powerful to a degree that defied explanation.
That wasn’t all.
Whoooosh!
The arrows Mir fired, or.
Boom!
Mir’s speed as she charged toward the Imoogi.
All of it transcended her expectations.
The arrows appeared powerful enough that even she wondered if she could block them head-on, and indeed the Imoogi took considerable impact.
That swift pace was something even she, an agility-type Swordmaster, found difficult to keep up with.
Above all.
Boom!
When Mir thrust his sword between the scales of the giant serpent and detonated it.
‘Would I have been capable of such an attack?’
The thought arose unbidden.
‘No. I couldn’t.’
She had no choice but to acknowledge it.
Mir had already surpassed her abilities.
While she had grown complacent at her high level, focusing solely on accumulating more levels.
Mir had transcended her skill.
Now she could only accept this truth.
And yet.
‘I cannot fall behind.’
She could not surrender like this.
She could not become a burden to Mir.
With that resolve.
“I’ll draw its attention from the front! Please attack from behind, Mir!”
“Understood.”
She began wielding her blade with greater focus than ever before.
Evading the surging lava pillars and cascading molten streams.
She swung her sword desperately, striking at the serpent.
A battle more intense than any she had fought before.
A single moment of carelessness would mean instant death.
If she fell here, the penalty would strip her levels, and she might lose her official rank as First in Second.
And yet, why was it?
“This time, I will catch up!”
She recalled those days in First when she had admired Mir and chased after him.
Now, more than ever, she was savoring Second with pure joy.

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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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