The Return of the Genius Ranker’s Myth Warehouse

Chapter 3

Whoosh!

As I logged into the game, my vision brightened rapidly.

Slowly opening my eyes to the dazzling sunlight, a bustling scene unfolded.

“Selling mid-grade iron daggers!” “Buying monster materials! Paying more than the general store!” “Anyone going to hunt Red Slimes? Tanker welcome!”

My vision was filled with people.

Indeed, it was a game worthy of being called the most popular in the world.

Seeing this, I couldn’t help but be amazed.

First of all, the sound.

“Why does it sound so real?”

First’s sound wasn’t bad, but it never went beyond the limitations of game sound effects, lacking true realism.

But this was different.

People’s voices sounded incredibly realistic, just like the sounds in the real world.

Moreover.

“Wow…”

The graphics.

The broken graphics unique to First were nowhere to be seen.

Even with so many people, not a single graphic was out of place, and a scene that looked exactly like reality unfolded before my eyes.

Swaying hair, water gushing from the fountain, a puppy running around in the distance.

Even the clouds floating in the sky.

Everything was so identical to reality that it was indistinguishable.

And that wasn’t all.

The scent of grilled chicken skewers wafting through the air, the texture of the clothes I was wearing.

Every sensation I felt was on a completely different level of realism compared to First.

“So this is why everyone was talking about Second, Second.”

Now I understood.

Second was so advanced that it could be called a different game from First.

A ‘true virtual reality game’ in the truest sense of the words.

A game so realistic that it could be called another world.

“Should I check my status window first?”

First, I opened my status window, the most basic element of any game.

Then.

[ Status Window ] Name: Mir Level: 1 Class: – Strength: 20 Dexterity: 20 Constitution: 20 Intelligence: 20 Wisdom: 20

A simple-looking status window appeared before my eyes.

From here, I could manipulate it further to check various information such as achievements and attack power, but this was the basic status window.

Looking at it, nothing seemed to have changed from First, including the numerical values.

However, the difference from the Level 1 character in my memory was.

“My stats are double.”

Stats.

According to the information I had researched about Second beforehand, as well as in First, the starting character’s stats were fixed at 10 for all attributes.

But what about my stats?

From the start, all my stats were double that of others.

This was also one of the ‘returnee benefits’ that had appeared when I created my character.

Although not explicitly stated, there were various other benefits, such as an increased skill proficiency acquisition speed.

The next thing to check was, of course.

“My inventory.”

It was my inventory.

As I chanted the command, a small inventory window appeared.

Befitting a new character, the inventory window looked incredibly small and neat, containing only two items.

The first was gold, the official currency of Second, called beginner’s settlement funds.

The second was.

[ Contract of Black Flames ]

This was it.

The item from First that I had brought as an additional benefit.

Normally, the standard procedure after starting the game was to head to the training grounds, but I, while looking around, entered the nearest alleyway.

If I could use the Contract of Black Flames as I intended, it would have been problematic in front of the crowded fountain.

“This place should be fine.”

There was no one around.

Calmly taking out the contract, I.

Whoosh!

Tore the contract without hesitation.

Then, black flames began to rise from the torn contract.

The black flames, burning beyond the contract and even the air, grew in size and engulfed the alleyway.

At that moment.

Kroooooooowl…….

A familiar sound began to be heard.

Along with that.

Flash!

From the black flames filling the alleyway, eerie eyes appeared.

An overwhelming sense of pressure transcending all species was felt, but I didn’t feel any fear from that gaze.

Rather, it felt like a pleasant reunion with a long-lost friend.

“Long time no see, Luke.”

Indeed, Master.

Luke.

He was a kind of familiar spirit I had contracted with.

If the Golden Dragon of Greed, whom I had defeated last in First, was the official final boss monster of First.

Luke was the unofficial final hidden boss monster.

Luke Nir Desperate Ignoktun, the Black Flame Dragon of Arrogance.

He was a powerful monster that existed as only one entity in First, but I had defeated him, contracted with him, and we became companions.

Well, I usually shortened his name to ‘Luke’ because his full name was too long.

Anyway, the reason I had brought the contract with such Luke as a ‘benefit’ was simple.

‘Luke’s power grows stronger over time.’

Luke was a powerful Black Flame Dragon, but unlike other summons, he wasn’t a familiar who fought alongside me in the front lines.

Due to his battle and contract with me, he had lost his original form as a Black Flame Dragon, so what remained for Luke wasn’t powerful physical ability but the unique abilities he possessed.

Predation (捕食), which allowed him to devour the monsters I defeated to increase his stats.

Black Flame Transformation (黑炎化), which allowed me to borrow the stats he had accumulated.

In other words, he was a summon who would grant an enormous amount of stats later on, the earlier he was summoned.

Looking at the future, summoning Luke seemed to be the most efficient choice.

That’s why I had chosen the Contract of Black Flames from the many options.

‘And that’s not all.’

Luke had a third ability besides Predation and Black Flame Transformation.

That was ‘Storage.’

Luke possessed a Black Flame subspace that was incomparably larger than any inventory.

For me, who mainly used a ‘switching’ strategy to change equipment according to the opponent’s characteristics, Luke’s ability was a perfect match.

Because of that, even in First, I had stored all the items I collected in the darkness that could be called Luke’s subspace.

This time as well, I planned to play Second by utilizing Luke’s subspace.

Has the passage of time taken its toll?
All the power and status Master possessed have vanished. “That’s how it is.”

Hearing him, it seemed Luke viewed the gap between First and Second merely as the flow of time.

Well, it didn’t matter.

That wasn’t the important point.

Luke had been properly summoned and had even acknowledged me as his master, so the re-contract was successful.

Now, I was about to return to the main game.

Do you not require equipment?

Luke’s question was heard.

It was understandable why he would ask that.

I was currently wearing only the basic beginner’s equipment, and to Luke, who had only ever seen me in my Rank 1 days, I must have looked incredibly weak.

“I’m not ready yet. I’ll have to gather them bit by bit from now on.”

That’s why I gave him a suitable answer.

But isn’t equipment overflowing in my darkness?

An unexpected answer came back.

Equipment overflowing?

Could it be.

“…You have my items?”

Did he have my items?

All the items I had collected in First, everything that existed in First.

Did he have it all, completely?

Nah, no way.

That couldn’t be.

I was doubtful, but Luke’s next action completely erased my doubts.

Of course.

Wooong-.

Luke’s body.

Black flames spread out, completely covering the wall I was facing.

And something began to emerge from that wall.

Swords, spears, axes, and more.

All sorts of weapon handles.

In addition, various armors, accessories, consumables, and more.

Luke possessed all the items I had collected in First.

Of course, among them were.

[ Zeus’s Lightning, Astrape ] [ Shield of the Gods, Aegis ] [ The Chosen King’s Sword, Excalibur ] [ Elixir of Immortality, Elixir ] [ Meteor Strike Magic Tome ] …….

Even the mythic items I had hesitated over when creating my character were all there.

Was this even possible?

Luke had all the items I had collected in First, exactly as they were.

Did that mean I could freely use all those items I had collected in First in Second?

“This can’t be…”

Could it be a bug?

I wondered if an administrator watching from somewhere would immediately bring down the ban hammer, but there didn’t seem to be any particular issues.

As I stood there, Luke’s earlier words came to mind.

He had said that my power and status seemed to have vanished due to the passage of time.

In other words.

“Luke, how much time has passed since you last saw me?”

Could it be that Luke’s memory of First was truly the ‘past’ of Second?

That thought crossed my mind.

However, unfortunately.

After Master disappeared, I was in a deep slumber in the darkness.
I apologize, but I do not remember the time. “I see.”

I couldn’t know the time.

It was a shame, but it seemed I would have to find out about this gradually.

If Second was the future of First, then the information I had about First.

That is, the information about Second’s past, would definitely be a great help in Second.

‘Come to think of it, this place looks a bit similar too.’

I briefly looked at the scenery outside the alleyway.

The starting city.

It was a kind of ‘tutorial’ area that players starting Second had to go through.

Naturally, First also had a starting city.

It was much older and more antiquated in style than this place, but upon closer inspection, the layout of the buildings and the shape of the terrain weren’t much different.

Well, anyway.

That was beside the point.

“So, from the start, I can freely use all these items?”

The important thing was the items Luke had stored.

From a beginner’s wooden sword to the ultimate weapon, Astrape.

In First, I didn’t just use and discard items; I stored at least one of each in my storage.

A collector’s instinct, perhaps?

From the moment I realized the existence of item achievements, I had been collecting every type of item that existed in First.

That’s how I had collected all the items in First and achieved the ‘Master of All Things’ achievement.

In other words, Luke right now was practically a ‘mythic warehouse’ storing all the items that existed in First.

And it was a warehouse with an AI that would immediately find and take out items according to my commands.

“Should I take one out?”

The items I had painstakingly collected in First.

Looking at them, I wanted to take them out and use them right away.

While pondering which item to use first, I was examining the items.

“What business does a green little brat like you have in our territory?”

Someone’s voice came from behind me.

Who on earth was interrupting this important time?

Annoyance welled up, and as I turned my head, I saw some thugs swaggering and blocking the alleyway.

At the same time, a system message popped up.

[ Sudden Quest ‘Alleyway Thugs’ has been generated. ] Grade: Intermediate Description: While loitering in the alleyway, you encountered the thugs of the ‘Goblin Faction,’ who rule the west alley of the starting city. Objective: Defeat or drive away the Goblin Faction thugs.

Sudden Quest.

As the name suggested, it was a quest that suddenly appeared in a specific situation.

The quests weren’t much different from those in First either.

“Aww, don’t be so scared. Our kind brothers here won’t kill you if you quietly leave your belongings.”

“Think of it as a bargain. You probably only have a few coins anyway, it’s cheap for your life, right?”

The thugs weren’t just one or two.

Five thugs with daggers blocked the entrance.

There was a reason why the quest grade wasn’t the lowest ‘Low’ but ‘Intermediate.’

A quest that involved facing this many opponents in the starting city would be considered quite difficult.

Looking at them.

“Perfect timing?”

A smile naturally formed on my face.

I wanted to test these weapons right away anyway.

And here were test subjects rolling right to my feet.

In response, I grasped the weapon I had just finished selecting.

[ Zeus’s Lightning, Astrape ] ( Cannot be traded ) Type: Spear Grade: Mythic Restrictions: Level 1,000 or higher, Zeus’s Seal, All Stats 1,000 or higher Description: The lightning of the celestial god Zeus, the chief deity of Olympus and also known as the king of the gods.

Astrape, an ultimate weapon that was among the most powerful weapons I had obtained in First.

A weapon that didn’t meet the level restriction, the seal restriction, or the stat restrictions.

Could I even use such a weapon?

Crack!

As I took out Astrape, a unique tingling sensation ran through me.

At the same time, electricity sparked around me, creating a wide magnetic field.

“Shall we test it out?”

Rumble rumble rumble!!

In the narrow alleyway of the starting city, the lightning of a celestial god erupted.