The Return of the Genius Ranker’s Myth Warehouse - Chapter 80

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 80
Chapter 80
Just before the Master League tournament began.
Strange rumors were circulating through the Workshop.
“They say someone triggered critical successes in a row? Not just two or three times, but dozens of times!”
“Come on, that doesn’t make sense.”
“It’s true! There were several people who saw it happen!”
“Really?”
“Really!”
Every production-class user knew about critical success judgments.
Whether mining, logging, cooking, crafting, or alchemy.
Beyond the skill itself, success rates increased based on the user’s proficiency and understanding, and with good fortune, one could trigger a critical success judgment.
Generally, a production-class user’s skill level was evaluated by calculating this judgment ratio.
But to trigger dozens of critical successes in a row?
Did that even make sense?
“Maybe they used some kind of exploit?”
“An exploit?”
“You know, there are people like that sometimes. They craft items far below their actual skill level to trigger critical successes.”
“Even so, isn’t it difficult to trigger dozens of critical successes in a row?”
“It is, but it’s far more feasible than crafting items at your actual level.”
“At first, I thought the same thing. They were making consumables or something, not proper equipment.”
“See, I knew it.”
“But that wasn’t it! The last two items they crafted burst with purple light along with the critical success effect!”
“Purple? You don’t mean… epic-grade items?”
“That’s what I’m telling you!”
“No way…”
“Seriously, nobody believes me. Do you know how many people actually witnessed it?”
When a production-class user crafted an item.
The color of the success effect varied depending on the item’s grade.
Like the colors of a rainbow, from lowest to highest: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.
Beyond that came legendary-grade items with white radiance, and mythic-grade items with golden radiance.
In other words, purple light bursting forth meant an epic-grade item had been created.
“This is insane. They created an epic-grade item through a critical success?”
“That’s no joke.”
“Wait, is that even possible? Even the current top-ranked blacksmith seems like they’d struggle with that.”
“The items don’t seem to be complete finished products—they look like consumables—but they apparently used alchemy too?”
“Crafting and alchemy simultaneously? What on earth is their identity…”
This news spread rapidly among production-class users.
And those who heard this news weren’t just ordinary users.
“Which one is it?”
“This way.”
“And the rumors—are they true?”
“I still find it difficult to believe, but… it checks out.”
“Mastering both alchemy and blacksmithing, achieving critical successes dozens of times in a row, and even crafting epic-tier items… it’s actually true.”
The Guild Master of the Artisan Guild.
Mist, Korea’s finest jeweler and enchanter, had come to the Workshop.
Those who witnessed this couldn’t help but be astonished.
“Wow, the Artisan Guild came calling?”
“From the direction they’re heading, looks like they’re going to recruit someone.”
“Well, anyone who can pull off critical successes dozens of times and craft epic-tier items would make even the Artisan Guild drool.”
“Still, it’s impressive. The Guild Master of the most prestigious production-class guild, known for their arrogance, is visiting in person.”
And for good reason—the Artisan Guild was Korea’s most renowned production-class guild.
A guild that welcomed exceptional production-class craftsmen regardless of their specific profession.
Because of this, the Artisan Guild was famous for the remarkable synergy created when various production-class users collaborated and supported one another.
Especially recently, a legendary-tier weapon crafted through joint efforts by blacksmiths, alchemists, and jewelers from the Artisan Guild had set Korea ablaze with excitement.
And furthermore.
“Wait, isn’t that Sanba-wi?”
“It really is!”
Walking down a side path was Sanba-wi, Korea’s greatest blacksmith.
He too was a guild master.
While his ranking fell slightly behind the Artisan Guild, he operated the finest blacksmith guild composed entirely of blacksmiths.
From the opposite direction.
“Wow, even an alchemist?”
Korea’s greatest alchemist was approaching.
Apparently, upon hearing rumors that the subject of interest used both crafting and alchemy simultaneously, they had come seeking them out.
Thus, three top-tier production-class rankers gathered, their gazes clashing.
“The Artisan Guild should step aside. Someone like this doesn’t seem like the type of talent you half-hearted people should be nurturing.”
“Haven’t you heard? This craftsman uses not only blacksmithing but alchemy as well. They are precisely the type suited for the Artisan Guild.”
“It’s better to dig deep into one skill than to become mediocre at both.”
“You’re asking them to abandon one precious talent?”
“As for alchemy, I could—”
“Be quiet.”
“Without even a guild, what are you thinking—taking them as a direct disciple?”
“That’s exactly what I intend—to accept them as a direct disciple.”
All three had come seeking the subject of the rumors.
Three renowned craftsmen arriving simultaneously.
It was absolutely unprecedented.
“In any case, someone with two talents must join our Artisan Guild without question.”
“Better to become a proper blacksmith than a mutt over there!”
“A mutt? That’s harsh language!”
“Hey, alchemist….”
“Be quiet!”
“Quiet!”
“….”
So the three of them.
Or more precisely, two of them locked eyes while one trailed behind.
They finally arrived at the legendary seat 981.
The problem was that the seat.
“…Huh?”
“Where did that person go?”
“What? Why isn’t anyone here?”
Was completely empty.
As the three artisans stood bewildered, a nearby user approached and explained the situation.
“Well, they left right after finishing their work.”
“Left? Why would an artisan abandon the Workshop? They should be crafting more items during the remaining time.”
“That’s what I thought too, but it seems they’re not a production-focused user….”
“That makes no sense! Someone who triggered critical successes dozens of times in a row and crafted an epic-grade item isn’t a production user?”
“That’s what I’m confused about too. The user’s nickname was….”
“The nickname?”
“Mir.”
“Mir?”
The Guild Master of the Artisan Guild.
Mist tilted her head in confusion.
Mir.
The name felt strangely familiar.
And the reason became clear immediately.
“Wait. You don’t mean that Mir, the champion of the Beginner League?”
“I checked the Workshop rental records, and it appears to be correct.”
Mir.
There’s no way I could forget the name of yesterday’s Beginner League champion.
So Mir, a combat-focused user, triggered critical successes dozens of times and crafted an epic-grade item?
How could a combat user do that?
“What on earth….”
Faced with this bewildering turn of events, the three artisans stood dumbfounded in that spot for a long while.
* * *
“Finally! The Master League tournament everyone’s been waiting for has begun!”
“Waaaaahhhhh!”
The final match of the Master League.
The tournament had started.
Since I had little interest in other matches, I tossed snacks to Luke and played around until it was Kang Ju-hyuk’s turn.
“A rising star making waves in the Master League! If the Beginner League had Mir, then the Master League has this player!”
Perhaps it was because Kang Ju-hyuk wasn’t affiliated with any Guild, and his name hadn’t even appeared among the championship favorites?
The commentator introduced Kang Ju-hyuk by comparing him to me.
And so the match began.
Boom!
Kang Ju-hyuk detonated a smoke bomb the instant the match started.
It was to prevent his long-range opponent from getting a clear shot at him.
Next, he hurled a Molotov cocktail from within the smoke.
Whoosh!
Toward the enemy fleeing from the spreading flames.
– Skill ‘Blaze Kick’ activated.
He unleashed a devastating kick.
Not just any kick—delivered with shoes adorned with thorns that lived up to their name ‘Spiked Shoes,’ which reduced movement impedance and amplified attack power even further.
The struck opponent desperately activated a mobility skill to create distance.
Ping!
But Kang Ju-hyuk’s wire was already wrapped around his body.
The mobility skill was canceled, and as Kang Ju-hyuk yanked the wire, his opponent came hurtling toward him.
– Skill ‘Burst Smash’ activated.
Thud!
“Kang Ju-hyuk wins!”
The match ended with his claw driven deep into his opponent’s skull.
Even I had to admit—his technique was quite refined.
Before the tournament began, he’d sacrificed even his meals and sleep to adapt to this new combat style.
His strength had improved far beyond what I’d anticipated.
“Kang Ju-hyuk, truly a marvelous combat style upon reflection!”
Both commentators lavished praise, but the crowd’s reaction split sharply into two camps.
“Wow, so a brawler can fight like that!”
“Incredible.”
“How is an opponent even supposed to counter that?”
“I’d probably panic and lose.”
The first group marveled at Kang Ju-hyuk’s combat style.
“That’s cowardly—what is that?”
“Wait, are you allowed to just use items like that in a match?”
“Isn’t that against the rules?”
“I could win too if I fought like that.”
“But would anyone really resort to something so underhanded just to win?”
“I wouldn’t fight that way even if it guaranteed me the championship.”
The second group condemned Kang Ju-hyuk’s style as dishonorable.
In truth, the latter group was far larger.
This combat style I’d recommended to Kang Ju-hyuk was simply too unconventional for Second’s players to comprehend.
In a sense, you could call it a battle style that transcends the era.
But.
“Kang Ju-hyuk advances safely through the Round of 32!”
“A battle style where he doesn’t take a single hit and toys with his opponent using countless items! Is this really happening!”
Kang Ju-hyuk claimed victory in the Round of 32.
“Ah, onto the Round of 16!”
He won in the Round of 16.
“Victory in the Quarterfinals, and now the Semifinals! He advances to the semifinals!”
Upon advancing to the semifinals.
“This is no joke.”
“I think I’m falling for him.”
“Wow, his item control is insane.”
“Were combat consumables always such good items?”
“Once the Second Crown ends, I’ve got to try using them myself.”
“Kang Ju-hyuk! Kang Ju-hyuk! Kang Ju-hyuk! Kang Ju-hyuk!”
More and more spectators came to understand Kang Ju-hyuk’s battle style, captivated by his distinctive approach to combat.
After all, even in the Master League where you see the same monotonous battles day after day, watching Kang Ju-hyuk’s dazzling combat was bound to trigger a dopamine rush.
And yet.
“Ah, player Darkness Dark uses a smoke bomb!”
“Along with a Molotov cocktail and a net! Anyone can see this is clearly imitating Kang Ju-hyuk!”
Others began mimicking Kang Ju-hyuk’s combat methods.
Of course, they didn’t execute it properly.
The skill gap between them and their opponents was so vast that they were essentially making a last-ditch effort, desperately copying Kang Ju-hyuk’s techniques.
Unfortunately, hastily improvised shortcuts couldn’t topple their opponents, and the player imitating Kang Ju-hyuk fell in the Quarterfinals.
The atmosphere grew even more heated.
Kang Ju-hyuk, buoyed by the roaring cheers of the crowd, advanced to the semifinals.
“Kang Ju-hyuk, what will happen this time!”
His opponent was formidable.
Whether they’d devised a strategy specifically to counter Kang Ju-hyuk, they masterfully countered the combat consumables he relied on and pressed him hard.
Even so, Kang Ju-hyuk fought with desperation.
He never used the Breath of Death that had been handed to him to deploy in moments of crisis.
In the end, by maximizing not only his combat consumables but also his raw power as a brawler.
“Kang Ju-hyuk wins!”
“Advancing to the finals!”
Kang Ju-hyuk had secured his place in the Master League finals.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————