The Return of the Genius Ranker’s Myth Warehouse - Chapter 98

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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 98
Chapter 98
Dragonsteed.
A legendary-grade steed, no less.
Though I recalled that the Dragonsteed from my First days had deeper crimson blood, granting it a higher epic-grade rank.
Yet this sublime sensation of riding remained virtually unchanged from those First days.
“Heavens, I’ve never witnessed a Dragonsteed choosing a master other than the previous Knight Commander….”
“May I borrow it?”
“O-of course.”
In any case, I now had a mount suitable for learning the Riding skill.
Truthfully, I could have summoned a steed by blowing one of my horse flutes.
But most mounts matching my level took forms other than horses, and the equine variants possessed lower grades, making them somewhat inadequate.
Thanks to the Dragonsteed, I was spared such concerns.
“A Dragonsteed actually allowing another rider on its back. Oh my, this is extraordinary. Truly extraordinary….”
Ignoring the stable keeper’s amazement from behind, I moved toward the Riding Ground alongside Lugard.
The Riding Ground befitted the Imperial Palace—its scale was immense.
As darkness fell, few people lingered, allowing us to move freely.
“Truthfully, I’m uncertain how to instruct you. Teaching basic posture to someone skilled enough to ride a Night Leopard feels rather absurd.”
I sensed Lugard’s bewilderment.
Indeed, even I found it ridiculous that I needed to learn Riding as a separate skill.
Lugard, tasked with teaching me, must have felt even more exasperated.
Still, I needed to acquire the skill, so I stroked the Dragonsteed and waited a moment.
“Very well, let us proceed directly to practical application.”
“Practical application?”
“What more could I teach one already versed in horsemanship? If this is merely for skill acquisition, there should be no issue with riding immediately.”
“Then the skill….”
“If you’ve trained such a legendary steed, shouldn’t you be able to catch up to Lunard and myself?”
Lugard suddenly proposed practical application.
And with it.
[ Skill Quest ‘Pursuing Lugard’ has been generated. ]
Rank: Heroic
Description: Lugard, a former Imperial Palace Knight and current Subjugation Commander, wishes to verify your horsemanship.
Prove your skill by catching up to Lugard through your riding ability.
Objective: Chase Lugard
A skill acquisition Quest had appeared.
The Quest’s contents were straightforward.
By competing in the Riding Ground and catching up to Lugard, I could acquire the Riding skill.
Though simple in description, it would be nearly impossible for an ordinary player to suddenly compete in a mounted race against Lugard and overtake him.
“Understood.”
“Let us begin at once.”
Standing at the starting line of the Riding Ground.
Without any formal signal, the moment I locked eyes with Lugard.
“Hyah!”
“Neeeigh!”
Lugard and I.
Dragonsteed and Lunard burst forth across the Riding Ground with tremendous force.
* * *
The Imperial Palace’s stable keeper.
Luther gasped in amazement, tears streaming down his face.
Dragonsteed.
In his younger days, the legendary noble steed ridden by the commander of the Golden Spear’s knights.
Ever since the previous commander retired, Dragonsteed had refused to acknowledge a new master and could no longer run properly—a sight that had always pained Luther.
And yet that very Dragonsteed.
“Oh, to think I would witness Dragonsteed running with a new master upon his back!”
Was galloping across the Riding Ground.
With a new master mounted upon him.
Moving with a speed that evoked his glory days.
“Indeed, it is Dragonsteed! Still wild and swift! Magnificent, truly magnificent!”
Luther committed every detail of their race to memory, knowing this moment might never come again.
Dragonsteed was fast.
Truly, the name “dragon steed” was well-deserved.
But.
“Still, it will be difficult to catch up with Lord Lugard’s horsemanship. What a pity. If the one acknowledged as master possessed just slightly superior riding skill, he could gallop even faster….”
Even such a Dragonsteed appeared unable to catch Lugard.
In truth, comparing only the horses’ abilities, Lugard’s beloved Lunard could never surpass the dragon steed Dragonsteed.
Yet Dragonsteed was unable to catch Lunard purely because of the rider’s horsemanship.
In Second, horsemanship was not merely about guiding a horse comfortably.
The rider’s skill actually influenced the horse, elevating its galloping speed further.
Thus even Dragonsteed could not catch Lunard.
“What a shame, such a shame….”
As Luther lamented this.
Whoosh.
“Hmm?”
Black flames enveloped Dragonsteed’s body.
As the black flames swept across Dragonsteed’s already dark coat, unfamiliar equipment materialized upon the steed’s body and the rider’s hands.
And in that instant.
“Neeeeeigh-!!”
“This cannot be!”
Dragonsteed surged forward at tremendous speed, beginning to overtake Lunard.
* * *
The moment the match with Lugard began.
“Hyeeing!”
Lugard and his beloved steed Lunard surged forward at tremendous speed.
The Dragonsteed I rode possessed higher stats and skills than Lunard, yet catching up to Lugard proved far from simple.
The reason was.
‘I lack a Riding Skill, while Lugard possesses one.’
It was the difference in skill possession.
No, it was far more than merely the presence or absence of a skill.
Lugard was a lance cavalry warrior skilled enough to ascend to the position of Subjugation Commander.
His Riding Skill level must be extraordinarily high.
I’d wager it easily exceeded level 50.
His beloved steed Lunard received the full benefits of such a high-level Riding Skill, making it impossible to catch up.
‘So he has no intention of deliberately losing?’
I had assumed this was merely a formal match to teach me the skill.
But watching Lugard’s charge, it seemed that wasn’t the case at all.
If I wanted to learn the skill, I would have to overtake him.
He was willing to teach the skill, but not through shortcuts or deception.
That intention was written plainly across the scene.
He was a man who adhered strictly to principles and logic.
But.
‘I have no intention of losing either.’
My resolve to win matched his own.
Though I lacked a Riding Skill, I possessed an item whose efficiency rivaled it.
“Luke.”
– Yes, Master.
“Equip the Bucephalus gear onto the Dragonsteed.”
– Understood.
Black flames briefly enveloped the Dragonsteed’s body.
Immediately after.
New equipment materialized upon the Dragonsteed’s form.
Among them, the reins I grasped in my hand were.
[ Bucephalus Reins ]
( Non-Tradeable )
Type: Reins
Grade: Unique
Restriction: Level 600+, Unique-grade or higher War Horse
Description: The reins held in hand by Alexander the Great, the 26th sovereign of the Macedonian Kingdom, when riding his beloved steed Bucephalus.
Such was this item.
The item’s effect strengthened the bond between rider and mount, enabling instantaneous acceleration and directional changes.
Of course, the equipment I had equipped to the Dragonsteed was not limited to this alone.
[ Bucephalus’s Saddle ]
[ Bucephalus’s Horseshoe ]
[ Bucephalus’s Bridle ]
….
Collectively known as the Bucephalus Riding Set.
Most of the items increased the speed of the mounted creature, and when equipped as a complete set, the creature’s speed doubled even further.
But that wasn’t all.
“Luke, equip my gear as well.”
I wasn’t just replacing the Dragonsteed’s equipment—I was swapping out my own gear too.
New equipment now adorned the Dragonsteed’s body, which had been covered in black flame.
[ Alexander the Great’s Riding Helmet ]
[ Alexander the Great’s Riding Breeches ]
[ Alexander the Great’s Riding Gloves ]
….
The Riding Set of Bucephalus’s master, Alexander the Great.
Equipment that any rider-class player would envy.
With “riding” embedded in the item names, the effects were entirely focused on mounted combat.
This riding set, too, boosted the creature’s speed through its set effect.
“Let’s go, Dragonsteed.”
“Neeeeiiiigh—!!”
At my command, the Dragonsteed surged forward at tremendous speed.
More than twice as fast as when I wore no items at all.
The Dragonsteed seemed to relish this velocity, snorting excitedly as it galloped.
In contrast.
“…!”
I could sense Lugard’s shock from ahead.
Of course—he never expected me to catch up at such a dramatically increased speed.
On top of that, I was using a rider-exclusive skill to push Lunard’s speed even higher.
It didn’t seem like he was unwilling to teach me skills.
But I couldn’t fathom why he’d go to such lengths against someone without any riding skills.
Still, I knew the Dragonsteed’s unique skill.
“Dragonsteed, Dragon Blood Rampage.”
“Neeeeiiiigh!”
Though its dragon blood had weakened and its rank had dropped, its unique skill remained intact.
The Dragonsteed began to unleash its diluted dragon blood in a frenzy.
Faint dragon scales emerged across its skin, and scorching flames spilled from its maw.
A unique skill that temporarily unleashes dragon blood to borrow the power of dragons—Dragon Blood Rampage.
Empowered by this, the Dragonsteed tore forward with insane velocity.
Whoosh!
It finally overtook Lugard’s steed.
“…Remarkable.”
Lugard’s astonishment was palpable.
Through the blur of rapid motion, I caught a glimpse of the stable keeper collapsed on the ground, trembling with emotion.
He seemed to be muttering something like, ‘To witness the blood rampage of Dragonstead before my death. Ah, former Knight Commander… your words have not lost their power even now…’
I had no idea why he was like that.
In any case, with this.
[ Skill Quest ‘Pursuing Lugard’ has been completed. ]
The quest was complete.
– You have acquired the Riding skill.
I had obtained the Riding skill.
With this, I could move faster when riding a mount.
Moreover, even if I attacked while mounted, the mount wouldn’t be unsummoned, and I could freely use the mount’s unique abilities.
It wasn’t simply that I could now swing a sword while riding a horse.
I could fully draw out the mount’s power….
In other words, I could now sweep enemies while riding a Drake, or breathe flames while riding a Wyvern.
Of course, for that to happen, I’d need to raise both my level and my Riding skill level considerably.
“I hadn’t intended to use skills, yet I was overtaken despite using one. Truly, impressive.”
Lugard dismounted as he spoke.
The reason he didn’t look down on me was probably because of the Night Leopard.
Since the Night Leopard itself was such a difficult mount to handle, he must have thought I was an incredible equestrian expert even without the Riding skill.
It was a conclusion only an NPC, who didn’t pay much attention to skills, could reach.
“Shall we ride a bit longer?”
“Very well.”
In any case, I had obtained the Riding skill with this.
Since there wasn’t much to do at the Imperial Palace anyway, I intended to continue riding.
All I could do now was raise my Riding skill level this way.
But then.
“Are you the adventurer called Mir?”
A voice called out from the direction of the stable.
I turned to look and saw a man wearing armor marked with the Empire’s insignia, much like the Wyvern Knights I had seen earlier.
I had heard that such armor was given only to the Imperial Palace Knights.
From our first meeting, he made it abundantly clear that he disliked me as he approached.
“The adventurer spreading the false rumor of slaying the Orc Lord?”
From the start, he began to provoke me.

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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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