The Return of the Genius Ranker’s Myth Warehouse - Chapter 387

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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 387
Chapter 387
Subjugating the Hydra.
Certainly, it was a troublesome request.
Restricted to a Solo Dungeon, attacks wouldn’t even connect unless they were sword strikes, and it was a monster that could only be defeated by severing multiple heads in a single blow.
Moreover, the monster’s level itself was quite high, making it not something an ordinary user should attempt.
– Using the skill ‘Concealment’.
I used Concealment to approach the sleeping Hydra carefully.
[ Using Black Flame Transformation. ]
[ Borrowing the power of the Black Flame Dragon, Luknir Desperato Ignockton. ]
[ Entering Black Flame Rampage state. ]
I activated Black Flame Rampage.
[ Equipped the complete ‘Purple Mechanical God’s Dominion’ set (6/6). ]
After equipping my gear.
[ Snake Hunter ]
( Non-tradeable )
Type: Sword
Grade: Legendary
I drew a legendary sword that dealt additional damage to reptilian-type monsters.
– Using the skill ‘Crimson Claw Slash’.
With even a mythic-grade Evil God’s attack skill at my disposal.
Slice!
I could perfectly sever the Hydra’s necks in one strike.
The Hydra, still in its sleep, had all its heads severed in a single blow and perished.
[ Your level has increased. ]
Given the high difficulty, the monster’s level was substantial, and I gained tremendous experience along with one level increase.
“Luke, I need to report this request, so leave behind some items as proof. If there aren’t any, just keep one body part for evidence.”
– Yes, Master. I’ll eat well.
[ Luke has consumed the ‘Tunnel Hydra’. ]
[ Luke’s stats have increased by 20. ]
[ Accepting the nutrients left behind by the Black Flame Dragon, Luknir Desperato Ignockton. ]
Crackle!
After that, it was immediately Luke’s mealtime.
Fortunately, a quest evidence item called ‘Hydra’s Eye’ appeared, so there was no need to take the Hydra’s body separately.
But what caught my attention more was.
[ Hydra’s Venomous Dagger ]
[ Hydra’s Scale ]
[ Hydra’s Venom ]
The items that dropped from the Hydra.
Until now, even when I defeated such monsters, no particular items had dropped.
Especially finished products like that venomous dagger were exceptionally rare.
Seeing these items suddenly appear like this.
‘Was my item luck really that terrible?’
Such thoughts naturally arose.
Could it be that items were dropping more frequently now due to the ‘Destiny’ effect created by strengthening my name?
My original item luck had been abysmal, yielding only materials occasionally.
Thinking about it that way made me want to sigh.
‘Actually, crafting materials myself is better than getting most finished products anyway.’
I consoled myself with this thought.
Then I returned to the Swordmaster Guild and presented the Hydra’s eye as proof of the hunt.
“Kyaaaah!”
“Is this it?”
“Y-yes. I’m sorry. I was just so startled…”
I could see the Receptionist jump in surprise.
Well, this request seemed difficult for others to clear even in my assessment.
Seeing the eye of a monster from such a request, there was no choice but to be startled.
“The reward fee…”
“I’ll pay additional gold on top of the reward fee, so please teach me Sword Force right away.”
“Yes! The gold amount would be… this much should suffice.”
“Here it is.”
After meeting the requirements and paying the gold.
I was immediately guided to learn Sword Force.
Level 600, which allows one to acquire Sword Force, is among the higher levels even among NPCs, and teaching Sword Force requires an even higher level.
I wondered who would teach such a skill.
“Welcome. I am Kairon, master of the Swordmaster Guild.”
“I’m Mir.”
The guild master of the Swordmaster Guild had appeared.
Ragnar Bloodvein, the Knight Commander of the Red Wolf Knights, had sharp eyes but carried the air of an elite-trained noble.
The man before me.
Kairon was completely the opposite.
His appearance showed no formality whatsoever, and his long, coarse hair was tied up haphazardly.
His entire body was covered in scars, and his posture was slovenly.
However.
‘He clearly has skill.’
Looking like that didn’t mean his abilities were diminished.
Though not quite matching Ragnar Bloodvein, I sensed a different kind of ominous sharpness from him.
Certainly, he appeared qualified enough to teach Sword Force.
“Sword Force isn’t something you can learn just by meeting level requirements. To this day, not a single person has learned Sword Force on their first attempt. Are you still confident?”
“Yes, I’m ready.”
“Krhehe, good. Let’s begin right away.”
I complied without hesitation.
Following him, we arrived at a massive Training Ground within the Swordmaster Guild.
Rather than a facility for general sword training, it appeared to be a private practice chamber constructed specifically for Kairon.
In any case, upon arrival, an enormous boulder lay positioned in the Center of the Training Ground.
“This is your first trial for learning Sword Force.”
As we approached the boulder, Kairon spoke thus.
“You have ten minutes to cleave that boulder in two.”
Without ceremony, he flipped an hourglass.
* * *
“What? You slayed the Hydra?”
Kairon, the Guild Master of the Swordmaster Guild.
An extraordinary report reached his ears.
Someone had completed the Swordmaster Guild’s highest-ranked commission—one that no one had conquered until now.
“Is this true?”
“Yes! They even brought back the Hydra’s eyes.”
“Who is this person to slay a Hydra? Do we have a swordmaster of such caliber in our Guild?”
“It appears they were new to the Swordmaster Guild.”
“What? A swordmaster, you say?”
“Yes, though we don’t know the details….”
Somehow.
Had an adventurer affiliated with the Swordmaster Guild completed the commission, I would have had some notion of their identity.
But this complete stranger slayed the Hydra as their first commission.
Yet, does that make sense?
A swordmaster skilled enough to learn Sword Force, arriving at the Swordmaster Guild for the first time?
“How presumptuous.”
Kairon found this far too audacious.
Slaying the Hydra was impressive, but wasn’t this clearly someone completing a single commission and then attempting to extract Sword Force from the Guild before departing?
Others crawled like dogs for the Guild, scraping together coin….
No—others diligently completed commissions for the Swordmaster Guild, ascending the ranks step by step.
Sword Force could be called the final teaching for such dedicated individuals.
Yet this person sought to learn it in such a manner?
I found it utterly distasteful.
“I am Mir.”
The adventurer I had observed in person displeased me even more.
Standing before me, the master of the Swordmaster Guild, with such an unyielding demeanor?
Not bowing, not even a flicker in their gaze.
‘Very well. Let me see how capable you truly are.’
Yet I had no intention of interfering with the trial.
After all, they would surely fail by the second test.
No—they would surely feel the wall during the first test itself.
If they were to reach the third trial, I would certainly construct a barrier to prevent their passage, but thus far, no one has ever reached the third trial on their first attempt.
With that thought in mind.
“You have ten minutes from now to carve through that boulder.”
The adventurer’s first trial had begun.
‘Heh heh, go ahead and swing. You’ll probably feel the wall with just the first strike.’
That boulder was no ordinary stone.
Absolute Granite.
A rock possessing high resistance to slashing-type attacks, such as sharp sword strikes.
Unless one was a Swordmaster who had learned Sword Force like myself, even leaving a scratch on this Absolute Granite would be difficult.
‘It’s impossible to cut through Absolute Granite in ten minutes on a first attempt. This isn’t a rock that can be severed through sheer strength alone.’
Cutting through Absolute Granite without wielding Sword Force was nearly impossible.
There was only one method.
To carve along the grain within the Absolute Granite.
By cutting along the grain with tremendous force, or by rapidly severing the grain in succession.
A skilled Swordmaster could cut through Absolute Granite within ten minutes.
But.
‘The grain in Absolute Granite is difficult to find even among other stones. Even if one finds it, the grain is irregular, making it hard to cut.’
Reading the grain required an enormous amount of time and effort for a Swordmaster.
At minimum, there was no way this adventurer could accomplish it in a single attempt.
The moment I thought that.
‘Hm?’
The adventurer’s gaze transformed.
It wasn’t merely that his eyes had sharpened.
The adventurer’s pupils darkened, as if burning with an intense black flame.
Then the man took his stance.
Click.
Like a ferocious beast extending its claws.
Screech!
He swung his sword with razor-sharp precision.
The problem was.
“This can’t be!”
The adventurer’s blade had cut precisely along the grain of the Absolute Granite.
Finding the grain in Absolute Granite was remarkable enough, but the grain within Absolute Granite was not a straight line.
It curved in the middle, bent at right angles in places, and twisted grotesquely in others.
Because of this, most would either crush the grain through force or sever it separately through continuous strikes.
Yet somehow, the adventurer had twisted his trajectory and carved perfectly along the grain of the Absolute Granite.
As a result.
The Absolute Granite of the first trial, which had driven countless Smasters to despair.
Crrrack-.
Boom!
It fell cleanly severed to the floor.
* * *
‘Severance Stone, it’s been a while.’
The rock that appeared as the first test for learning Swordcraft.
Severance Stone.
Since it had existed even back in First, I knew its properties well.
Therefore.
‘Luke, I’ll borrow your Dark Eye.’
– Yes, Master.
I borrowed Luke’s Dark Eye and read the grain of the Severance Stone.
In truth, I could read the grain even without using the Dark Eye if I concentrated, but using it made reading the grain far easier.
After that, it was simple.
– Activating skill ‘Crimson Claw of the Bloodfield’.
All I had to do was sever the visible grain.
By heightening my cutting power with Crimson Claw of the Bloodfield and twisting the sword’s trajectory through precise control, I cleanly severed the Severance Stone’s grain.
Thud.
The Severance Stone split apart anticlimactically.
Though the Severance Stone possessed strong resistance to slashing-type attacks, once you severed the grain properly, it was easier to cut than other rocks.
So I could sever it cleanly in a single strike.
Then.
“What, what?! How did you do that!”
“Wasn’t this a test to sever the grain?”
“That’s exactly what I’m asking—how did you sever the grain!”
“I simply looked at the grain carefully and severed it.”
“That’s what I’m asking—how exactly did you do it!”
The Guild Master of the Swordmaster Guild.
Kairon suddenly raised his voice.
It was clearly a test to verify whether I could see and properly sever the grain.
I had severed the grain perfectly according to that intent, so I couldn’t understand why he was reacting like this.
“So, have I passed?”
“Tch, damn it. Yes, you’ve passed. I don’t know how you did it, but the next test won’t be easy.”
In any case, I had passed the first test.
The location where the next test immediately unfolded was.
“You absolutely won’t pass the next test!”
“A waterfall?”
“That’s right!”
The wall side of the training room.
I wasn’t sure how it worked, but an artificial waterfall was cascading down from the wall of the training room.
The second test conducted in front of that waterfall was.
“Sever that waterfall for more than 5 seconds. That’s the objective of the second test.”
It was to cleave through a waterfall.
Cutting through flowing water was already absurd, but to cleave through a cascading waterfall?
And not merely to cleave it, but to maintain that cleaved state.
What kind of nonsensical test was this?
However, I could immediately grasp the test’s true purpose.
‘This is a test of sword aura.’
The application of sword aura.
To perfectly manifest my sword aura, split the waterfall asunder, and maintain that aura for at least five seconds—keeping the waterfall in its divided state.
That was the essence of this trial.
Understanding this, I.
– I activate the skill ‘Crimson Claw.’
Without hesitation, I immediately swung my blade toward the waterfall.
True to its name, Crimson Claw left a scarlet mark upon the cascade—like the talon marks of a crimson beast.
And then.
‘If it’s about demonstrating sword aura, I’m confident.’
Even now, I was someone who had wielded countless weapons as a Weapon Master during my time in First.
I had pushed the blade force of every weapon to its absolute limits.
For someone like me, maintaining sword aura for five seconds was child’s play.
As expected, the mark I carved remained deep within the waterfall, deflecting every drop of cascading water.
“What the hell are you?! Where did someone like you suddenly come from?!”
Five seconds was nothing.
I effortlessly maintained the blade mark on the waterfall for ten seconds, and the second trial was complete.
Now only one test remained.
If I passed the third trial, I could learn ‘Blade Force.’

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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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