Disciple of The Three Kings [EN]: Chapter 440

Shin-gae, now one with the spirits of the Open Sect leaders who had become part of the Open Sect Archive and protected it.

As he was also an Open Sect leader, his will merged with theirs, and now, united with the power of the Open Sect Archive.

Hwaaaah-!

He was emitting a tremendous energy, truly showing what a god was.

His appearance and energy could no longer be described as human.

Something beyond human.

-Transcendent.

Shin-gae now could be called the Open Sect Archive itself.

All the information of the Silver, the world that had invaded and absorbed even the history and knowledge of Earth.

-I will devour even you….

He had become an existence that was beyond imagination.

But even the Open Sect Archive had information it did not possess.

-We will acquire the Demon God.

The Demon God.

In the history of the Open Sect, the Demon God did not exist.

Memories and traditions about him, the martial arts he left behind, existed, but knowledge of the true transcendent, the Demon God himself, was almost nonexistent.

That was the weakness of the Open Sect Archive.

With the reappearance of the two Demon Gods, information about them was essential to defeat them.

Shin-gae intended to defeat Lee Ro-woon, the successor of the relatively weaker Demon God, and absorb his information and knowledge.

“…….”

Lee Ro-woon looked up at the massive figure.

An ordinary human would have been overwhelmed by that alone, giving up everything and surrendering.

But Lee Ro-woon was different.

-That arrogant face will soon be distorted.

Shin-gae’s confident voice.

“Will it, though?”

Lee Ro-woon replied in a languid voice.

“I think differently.”

-Still being arrogant to the end.

“I think….”

Lee Ro-woon said.

At that moment.

“The moment I entered this place, it was already over.”

Twitch.

Something twitched in the empty air.

-……?

Shin-gae sensed something was wrong.

-……!

It didn’t take long for his face to distort.

“It wasn’t me, but you, whose arrogant face is distorting.”

Twitch!

Something twitched from all directions.

And soon, it spread out, staining the space itself.

Shake!

Shin-gae’s form swayed and staggered.

-What have you done-!

His bewilderment was clearly evident in his voice.

-What… Keok!

Now, Shin-gae’s form was shaking even more, even letting out pain.

“This is the center of the Open Sect Archive, and the Open Sect Archive itself.”

And here.

“It’s also where the power of the Open Sect Archive is maximized, just as you thought.”

He gave unnecessary explanations to buy time.

If he could just buy time.

“It means the Open Sect Archive, which could only read a part of me, can step into my depths.”

Because Shin-gae would destroy himself anyway.

The power of the Open Sect Archive was maximized, and Shin-gae ascended.

The Open Sect Archive also became part of Shin-gae, reading Lee Ro-woon and finding a way to break him.

Shin-gae.

‘That’s what he must have thought.’

But he was wrong.

The moment he stepped into the Open Sect Archive, Shin-gae’s defeat was certain.

And when Lee Ro-woon saw Shin-gae’s ascended form, that conviction became even stronger.

That guy.

-What is this…!

He can never reach chaos.

Twitch!

The black stain, writhing like a snake, spread in all directions.

It was eating away at the blue light of the Open Sect Archive, defiling it.

One with the Open Sect Archive….

-Kuaaaak!

Even Shin-gae.

Shin-gae was writhing in pain, his form even shaking.

He still needed a little more time.

Kwaaang!

Shin-gae’s flailing fist slammed into the spot where Lee Ro-woon had been.

“Did you think the Demon God was the only thing the Open Sect lacked?”

Lee Ro-woon, standing on the blue fist.

He said.

“No.”

There was more that the Open Sect didn’t know.

-Sword King, Demon King.

He already had things no less than the Martial King.

The Open Sect Archive, already overwhelmed by that alone, could never withstand it.

Most importantly.

“You’ve poisoned the Open Sect Archive.”

That which was dormant deep within him.

-Kuhahaha!

It was as if he could hear the guy’s maniacal laughter.

The Open Sect Archive was similar to a computer.

Data processing, calculations, even recording.

Its limits were said to be infinite, but in the end, many things were needed to store and record it.

And now….

-Virus.

In a way, the Open Sect Archive was like a computer that had been infected with a virus.

-Keuak! What is this… what… Kuaaaak!

A virus called chaos.

The Open Sect Archive was still desperately trying to read him, trying to read the chaos dormant within him.

And in doing so, it was becoming contaminated.

Defiled, broken, and yet it couldn’t even run away.

Pajijijit!

The moment it ran away, it would be swallowed by chaos.

It was a battle with no defeat.

Lee Ro-woon could never lose….

“It’s over.”

A battle of compatibility.

Thud.

Lee Ro-woon kicked off Shin-gae’s fist and landed on the ground.

The time he needed was over.

If given a little more time, Shin-gae and the Open Sect Archive would destroy themselves.

So….

-Lee Ro-woon.

It was time to pay attention to the voice in his head.

* * *

The world of the Open Sect Archive was stained with deep black and purple.

And in the blue light that was losing its luster, something was finally revealing itself.

Clatter.

The players, who had become part of the Open Sect Archive against their will and turned into processing units.

They were chained, unconscious, and looked like corpses.

Swoosh.

Lee Ro-woon passed through them.

Some were dead, and some were alive.

But all of their resources were being used by the Open Sect Archive.

Swoosh.

Therefore.

-Please-! Pleeease-!

They were crying out.

The voices that had been heard since they were affected by the Open Sect Archive.

The voices of those who had become part of the Open Sect Archive and its information, reaching out to Lee Ro-woon.

-Kill me….

-Save me!

Conflicting voices.

But their emotions were the same.

Pain, suffering, anger, screams, everything.

Emotions and information that could drive anyone listening mad.

Lee Ro-woon felt that this was another gatekeeper of the Open Sect Archive.

But.

“Shut up.”

Lee Ro-woon was not affected by it.

He had already felt and seen this level of emotion countless times.

“You’re just wraiths now.”

Moreover, even those who survived were living in the same hell.

Their cries were just the same to Lee Ro-woon.

Crack!

But Lee Ro-woon showed mercy.

Crack!

He swung his anger as he passed by.

And then.

Whirr-!

Those who were bound were released and permeated with anger.

The emotions of anger they possessed, the power they possessed, were permeating into the anger.

-Thank….

The voices of the wraiths.

Lee Ro-woon continued to walk through the place.

-Kuaaaak-!

Shin-gae’s pain-filled screams were also heard from behind.

Zzzt.

The dimension was splitting.

The Open Sect Archive was now fracturing.

The Open Sect Archive itself had no will, but the Open Sect leaders who had permeated it had taken control, and now they were being eroded by chaos and disappearing.

And as they did, the will of the players who had been sacrificed began to take control.

Ripple.

The torn space seemed to beckon Lee Ro-woon, as if calling him.

And Lee Ro-woon.

Thud.

He stepped through the door without hesitation.

Hwaaak-!

Everything around him changed.

The Open Sect Archive, as long as its history, would have continued to grow and increase in size.

Where this place was.

“…….”

Shin-gae’s screams were no longer heard.

Hwaak.

The blue light spread out.

This place, not yet consumed by chaos, was….

“The core.”

The core of the Open Sect Archive, the center of the Open Sect Archive.

It was that place.

The scene Lee Ro-woon had first seen.

A part of the scene he had felt through the Emperor’s Ring.

“It’s been a while.”

The languid and low voice changed.

Thud.

The heavy and serious footsteps became lighter.

Swoosh.

The bloodshot eyes, heavy with sleep, returned.

This was not his memory, his vision, his world.

“Yeah. It’s been a while.”

It was her world.

“Lee Sae-rom.”

“Ro-woon.”

* * *

He had also met her at the Saebom Orphanage.

She was his childhood friend, and also.

-Ro-woon.

Always his supporter, his backer.

-Ro-woon.

Sometimes, she was like an older sister, even more so than his own brother.

If she hadn’t been there, he would never have survived at the Saebom Orphanage.

-Let’s leave together someday.

-Let’s leave this hell.

He endured because she was there, and he was able to escape because she was there.

Even the new beginning….

-We’ll do it together.

It was with her.

Now, she was no longer a friend or family.

-Lee Sae-rom.

-Ro-woon.

The two had become lovers.

-Let’s promise that we will never betray each other, no matter what.

They had promised.

-When we become free, we’ll be together even more.

They had promised.

And yet.

“Lee Sae-rom.”

She had abandoned him.

She, who would never betray him even if everyone else did.

She, who seemed like she would never betray him even after long escapes and harsh tortures, was ultimately the same as everyone else.

“Ro-woon.”

Lee Sae-rom greeted Lee Ro-woon with a bright smile.

“Where have you been? You’re just coming now?”

She reached out to Lee Ro-woon with a kind smile and warm hands.

Thud.

She stopped, seeing Lee Ro-woon stepping back.

“Ro-woon?”

Lee Ro-woon looked around.

“This place….”

It was a familiar place.

The place where Dank had been with him, Dank’s guild house.

It was also his residence and Lee Sae-rom’s home.

“What’s wrong?”

The Dank House was a precious place for him and everyone else.

“Are you sulking because I didn’t make you an omelet?”

Lee Sae-rom said.

“I’ll make it for you next time. So, cheer up. Okay?”

A kind and gentle smile.

When a difficult battle was over, when he had upheld his beliefs, and when he was so exhausted, seeing her smile would make everything better.

“…….”

“What’s wrong?”

That was why.

Even when he had executed all those who had betrayed him in Dank.

-We couldn’t find Lee Sae-rom.

Even when they said they couldn’t find Lee Sae-rom.

Lee Ro-woon had left her alone.

Seeing her again.

Even for Lee Ro-woon, who had already turned to ashes, it was not an easy thing.

But now, it was becoming clearer, little by little.

“Do you know how much I missed you?”

Imagining it and seeing it directly.

There was a huge gap between the two.

The heart that had ached as if torn was gone now.

The pain in his head that felt like it was burning had also disappeared.

“Lee Sae-rom.”

Lee Ro-woon called out to Lee Sae-rom.

“Yeah, Ro-woon.”

“Wake up.”

“What…?”

Lee Ro-woon approached Lee Sae-rom.

This place was her world.

“This isn’t reality. And you….”

The world she had dreamed of and wished for, the world where she found her only peace.

Slap-!

Lee Ro-woon’s hand struck Lee Sae-rom’s cheek.

“You don’t have the right to do that to me.”

Crack!

The world began to break and split apart.

There.

“Ro…woon….”

Lee Sae-rom was bound and dying.