The Return of the Genius Ranker’s Myth Warehouse - Chapter 406

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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 406
Chapter 406
Barakar, the Demon Beast King.
A single strike borrowed from his power proved far more formidable than I had anticipated.
Or rather, it wasn’t simply a matter of raw strength….
‘The efficiency is exceptional.’
It was far more efficient than employing other skills or magic.
If I wielded it with proper judgment suited to each situation, it would prove vastly superior to my other abilities.
Given this realization.
‘Could I utilize my other summoning skills in this manner as well?’
I found myself anticipating the potential of my other summoning abilities.
If I could temporarily unleash the power of the Spirit Kings through my Spirit Summoning skill?
If I could manifest towering ancient forests through my Plant Summoning skill?
I could unleash far greater power than any magic could provide.
Or perhaps, by combining magic with these abilities, I could achieve even greater feats of power.
The thought made me eager to return and test the remaining summoning skills without delay.
Of course, before that.
“Incredible! Others couldn’t even leave a scratch, yet you shattered it in one blow! The crystal was practically melting!”
That entrance.
It was time to venture into the Dungeon.
Judging by the situation, I needed to hurry.
And for good reason.
“Wait, wait—it’s regenerating? Wow, that’s insane. You destroyed such an incredibly hard crystal, yet it’s still regenerating?”
The crystal I had just shattered.
It was regenerating before my eyes.
If I lingered here for merely a few more minutes, the crystal would fully restore itself and seal the entrance once more.
I had to enter quickly before wasting time and energy needlessly.
At this moment, I found myself deliberating.
The matter of deliberation was straightforward.
Whether to bring Maniac along or not.
From what I could tell, he was a purebred explorer with virtually no combat ability, so he didn’t seem likely to prove useful in battle.
In truth, even if he could aid in combat, few rankers could keep pace with me….
‘Mana Sense Detection. That ability will definitely be useful.’
Maniac’s ability.
While it couldn’t be called superior to Dark Vision, its practical application was remarkably versatile.
After all, it was Maniac’s ability that had discovered the Dungeon’s location, something my Dark Vision had failed to detect.
Moreover, hadn’t he swiftly located the entrance through the Crystal Passage using that very ability?
With such an ability.
‘I could locate the premium-grade Demon Stone without risk of getting lost within the Dungeon.’
It would prove invaluable inside the Dungeon.
Having thought things through to this point, I made a proposal to Maniac.
“Would you be willing to enter the Dungeon with me?”
Maniac was visibly taken aback.
“R-really? If that’s possible, it would be such an honor! Though I should mention, I have virtually no combat ability. I’m confident in running away, but….”
“I’ll handle all the combat, so you don’t need to worry.”
“Ah? Then wouldn’t I just be a hindrance…?”
“All you need to do is guide me to the special-grade Mana Stones or the boss monsters. My detection ability doesn’t seem to be functioning properly here.”
Dark Eye was an exceptionally powerful mana detection ability among those I knew.
However, since it relied on line of sight for detection, it was difficult to utilize effectively in a place so filled with crystals.
Upon hearing this explanation.
“I’m confident about that! If I can enter with you and witness your combat directly, that would be the greatest honor!”
“Very well.”
Maniac’s confidence shone through.
Now that the decision was made.
“Let’s go in.”
I headed straight for the Dungeon’s Entrance.
An Entrance made of transparent crystal.
However, as the crystal became increasingly translucent, I couldn’t see the interior clearly.
The moment Maniac and I stepped through the Entrance.
Crack!
The crystal, which had been slowly regenerating, suddenly hardened at an accelerated pace, sealing the Entrance shut.
Though I hadn’t intended it, requesting reinforcements would be impossible.
As the Entrance sealed completely.
[ You have entered the ‘Hidden Crystal Palace’. ]
[ For discovering the ‘Hidden Crystal Palace’ for the first time, experience and item drop rates increase for one week. ]
[ If you clear the ‘Hidden Crystal Palace’ within one week, greater rewards will be granted. ]
The familiar System Message appeared.
Hidden Crystal Palace.
It was a fitting name for this Dungeon, hidden so deep underground that even my Dark Eye couldn’t detect it.
“Level up! Wow, this Dungeon is incredibly high-level! The experience gain is insane!”
Maniac was an Explorer.
While you could gain experience by defeating monsters, Explorers could gain experience by discovering Dungeons.
Among these, discovering a Dungeon for the first time granted Explorers tremendous experience.
This Dungeon appeared to grant an exceptionally large amount.
Of course, with special-grade Mana Stones present, the Dungeon’s difficulty would be extremely high.
It was natural that the experience gain would be substantial.
‘A Crystal Palace.’
The form of the Crystal Palace was beautiful.
From the high ceiling hung a chandelier crafted from glittering crystals, and mysterious paintings adorned the walls.
From the high ceiling hangs a chandelier made of glittering crystal, and mysterious framed paintings hang on the walls.
Watching this unfold, I felt a sense of incongruity.
And for good reason.
‘This isn’t a naturally occurring dungeon from a supreme-grade mana stone, is it?’
Chandeliers, sculptures, and the like.
None of them appeared to be natural formations.
In the supreme-grade mana stone dungeon I’d discovered in First, I hadn’t seen a single artificial structure like this.
The very name “Crystal Palace” felt suspicious, and something was deeply off.
No, what was most suspicious of all was—
“Mir, that…!”
“You said you were confident in your ability to escape, yes?”
“Yes! I’ll make sure to slip away without interfering with the battle!”
“That’s sufficient.”
The suits of armor filling the vast hall of the Crystal Palace.
Armor crafted from crystal.
They stood with such noble grace that one might mistake them for works of art rather than armor.
Clang.
They began to move.
That’s right.
They were the monsters that would greet us first in the Crystal Palace.
[ Hidden Crystal Soldier ]
Crystal soldiers.
Soldiers forming ranks with practiced precision.
Shield-bearing soldiers stood at the front, with spear-wielding soldiers behind them thrusting their weapons through the gaps in the shields.
Sword-bearing soldiers took supporting positions around the flanks, while an archer in the rear drew a bead on me.
Their numbers overwhelmingly exceeded ours, yet they advanced with such disciplined formation.
There was no doubt.
This dungeon was no ordinary dungeon.
And precisely because of that, I could be certain that a supreme-grade mana stone awaited at the end of this dungeon.
And so—
“Luke, let’s go.”
– Yes, Master.
Whoosh!
With exhilaration surging through me, I charged toward the crystal soldiers.
* * *
Maniac.
He was one of the fairly renowned adventurers who had made a name for himself even in Second.
Well, the epithet “Bloodhound” wasn’t to my liking.
Still, the fact that he’d earned recognition among so many Second users was undeniably impressive.
And he had one user he admired.
That person was not the most famous adventurer in Second.
‘Mir!’
It was Mir.
Maniac had come to the Eastern Region not only because undiscovered mines and dungeons were abundant, but also because this was a matter concerning Kalbera Territory.
If it was a matter of Kalbera Territory, wouldn’t I have a chance to meet Mir?
With that thought, I had come to the Eastern Region.
Naturally, I achieved excellent results.
‘A premium magic stone?’
I was able to uncover crucial information.
Mir was searching for a premium magic stone.
If I could find a mine or dungeon containing a premium magic stone, I would not only receive a substantial reward but also get to meet Mir.
With that in mind, I explored the Eastern Region with all my might.
And as a result.
“Mir!”
I actually managed to meet Mir.
Mir in person was far more impressive than I had ever admired.
And that wasn’t all.
Boom!
The rumors about Mir circulating in society.
Though Mir had defeated Jeok-hwa and was unofficially recognized as rank 1, there were assessments that he was still overrated since his level wasn’t maxed out.
‘Overrated? Nonsense!’
Even the assessment that he was overrated was an underestimation.
Mir’s power exceeded what I had seen in videos.
It surpassed what I had heard in rumors.
And for good reason—the crystal wall that hadn’t even been scratched by the strikes of powerful users who came upon hearing news of a dungeon discovery, Mir had shattered in a single blow.
And thanks to Mir’s permission, I was able to enter the dungeon.
In the Hidden Crystal Palace, I was able to witness Mir’s power even more clearly.
Whoosh!
“Black Flame! So cool!”
Black flames erupted across Mir’s body.
Mir’s Black Flame was already famous.
Many users wanted to discover the true nature of Black Flame, but no one had been able to uncover information about the skill.
It was truly a unique skill only Mir possessed.
Covered in black flames, Mir appeared even stronger than in the videos I had seen, and began engaging the crystal soldiers that were the monsters here.
Slash!
“So fast!”
As an explorer, I had invested quite heavily in agility.
Yet Mir moved so quickly that even I struggled to keep up.
It was difficult to even follow with my eyes, let alone my body, as he attacked the crystal soldiers.
Usually, users capable of such speeds would gradually lose their strength.
“Powerful!”
It was not Mir.
Even at such speed, he demonstrated power far greater than a warrior wielding a greatsword.
Each time Mir swung his weapon, the crystal soldier’s body split in two.
He even grew irritated with the crystal soldiers’ formation and swung his club, sending a shield-bearing crystal soldier flying along with his shield.
And yet.
“So hard!”
Faint scales composed of black flame.
Each time the crystal soldiers thrust their weapons, the scales blocked most of the attacks.
The arrows from the crystal archers could never pierce through Black Flame.
The first battle ended in an instant.
Was this a dream or reality?
To witness Mir’s combat directly from right behind him!
Even as Maniac couldn’t help but marvel,
“Which direction should we go?”
“Toward the Center first! The magical aura is strongest there!”
I guided Mir with certainty.
Making sure not to hinder Mir’s path,
I did my very best.
* * *
The hall of the Hidden Crystal Palace had four doors.
The entrance we first entered, now blocked by crystal so we couldn’t even turn back.
And three doors leading deeper into the Hidden Crystal Palace.
Left, right, and up the stairs ahead.
It consisted of three doors in total,
‘I can’t see it.’
Even with Luke’s dark eyes, I couldn’t discern the path.
In such a situation,
“Toward the Center first! The magical aura is strongest there!”
Maniac pinpointed the correct direction to advance.
Magical aura.
Until now I had been satisfied with my dark eyes, but facing this situation, I found myself envying Maniac’s ability.
The conditions for sensing magical aura are demanding, but since I am now an All Master rather than a weapon mage, I can fulfill those conditions.
Thinking I should investigate information about magical aura once we leave here, I followed Maniac.
Then,
“Are the soldiers gradually becoming stronger like this?”
A new soldier type appeared alongside the crystal soldiers we first encountered.
Crystal Knight.
The crystal knight, clearly far stronger than the other soldiers at first glance, was commanding the soldiers.
And so,
Slash!
Together with Maniac, I began methodically conquering the Crystal Palace, floor by floor.

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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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