Disciple of The Three Kings [EN]: Chapter 444

Lee Ro-woon’s second key, found within the Gae Shin Library.

“It’s a map of where the stakes are.”

It was a map detailing the presumed locations of the world’s stakes.

“Finally….”

Ha Se-min spoke.

“We’ve finally reached it.”

They had uncovered the world’s true secret, the black pillars hidden by Eun.

“Where is it?”

Ha Se-min asked.

Lee Ro-woon shook his head.

“I’m not sure. The map is encrypted.”

It was only to be expected.

Even though the Gae Shin Library stored all information, that information wasn’t readily accessible.

The ones who encrypted and managed the information were the previous Open Heaven Lords [a group of powerful beings].

Especially since the information concerned the location of the stakes, Eun’s greatest secret, it seemed that several Open Heaven Lords had worked on it simultaneously.

With the Open Heaven Lords gone, they wouldn’t be able to decipher the code immediately.

“It’s going to take time.”

Since the code was crafted from the souls and essence of the Open Heaven Lords, there was no telling when it could be solved.

‘Lee San-hoo, Ha Se-min….’

Even though they were the most talented individuals he had.

“I will do my best.”

Ha Se-min spoke as if to say he could handle it, but Lee Ro-woon shook his head.

“It’s impossible.”

Ha Se-min and Lee San-hoo were exceptionally talented.

Moreover, there were geniuses and scholars within Black Moon, and those who could be gathered through the influence of the Milky Way….

“The opponent is Open Heaven.”

Or, to be precise.

“It’s Open Heaven’s history and everything.”

They would be able to decipher the code eventually.

But the problem was time.

“It could take a month, a year.”

Or even.

“It could take ten years, a hundred years.”

So, they would decipher the code, find the stakes, and free the players? [individuals with special abilities]

That long period might not be meaningless.

However, he had no intention of remaining idle during that time.

“Then what are you going to do?”

“I need to find a way.”

“Do you have something in mind?”

Lee Ro-woon nodded.

He had two ideas in mind.

“There must be a way to find the stakes through other means.”

Even though the Gae Shin Library stored all of Eun’s information, it was unlikely that the information and knowledge only existed there.

There must be information elsewhere as well.

“The other one is….”

Ha Se-min said, biting his lip.

It was possible, but it was also unknown how much time it would take.

It wasn’t a good method.

“To devour the Gae Shin Library.”

“……!”

The Gae Shin Library was collapsing.

With the destruction of the souls of the Open Heaven Lords, who were its core, the method to control the Gae Shin Library itself had disappeared.

Even now, the Gae Shin Library was crumbling.

“There’s a perfect person for the job.”

“Yes?”

A perfect person?

“The Gae Shin Library was maintained because the souls of the Open Heaven Lords were connected with one center as the starting point. Of course, its burden was also great….”

Open Heaven had done things that humans shouldn’t have done.

Not only to the Open Heaven Lords, but also to the players who had value as connection subjects.

And Lee Ro-woon had granted freedom to most of them.

“The players.”

Yet, remnants still remained, wandering and maintaining the Gae Shin Library.

So, there was a perfect person.

“Ah!”

The players.

If they focused on that….

“Lee Shin-woo.”

The name of his brother came from Lee Ro-woon’s mouth.

His hidden job was….

“Intervener.”

He was an Intervener.

* * *

“Is this even possible?”

Lee Shin-woo looked at the swaying gate of the Gae Shin Library with a dumbfounded expression.

Swoosh.

A collapsing world.

However, the energy that the world emitted was stronger than ever.

The Gae Shin Library, having lost its master, was like a bomb that could explode at any moment.

“If this… explodes, what happens?”

The form of a gate.

If this instability reached its peak and a break occurred.

“Hmm….”

Lee Ro-woon seemed lost in thought for a moment.

“Well, we wouldn’t need to fight a war with Eun, would we?”

“Wh… what?”

“The entire Asian region would be blown away.”

At Lee Ro-woon’s nonchalant words, Lee Shin-woo also.

“Wh, what….”

“What are you saying….”

Ha Se-min and Lee San-hoo, who were with them, also spoke with their mouths open.

“The Gae Shin Library isn’t just a simple gate. You can think of it as a kind of information dimension.”

Accumulated and expanded, it circled without escaping anywhere.

Information.

It was an invisible substance, and it seemed like it wouldn’t have any energy, but in reality, it could be said to contain enormous energy.

“You could say it’s the condensation of history and the collection of minds.”

It was a concept that even Lee Ro-woon couldn’t fully understand.

If it weren’t for the memories of his demon king master, it would have been difficult to even explain.

“Hmm.”

What was something similar?

“A nuke?”

Something that was called the worst weapon before the past world became like this.

It was the name of the worst weapon that was said that if the world were to be destroyed, it would be due to a nuke, not an invasion from the outside world or monsters like now.

“A year’s worth might be equivalent to one nuke.”

A rough calculation.

“Then… how much is in here?”

“It seems like it’s over three thousand years’ worth.”

Lee Shin-woo couldn’t even think of opening his mouth.

As the leader of the Liberation Army, Lee Shin-woo had focused on the weapon called a nuke.

He was also aware of the situation where he had no choice but to use force to regain the freedom of the players and Earth, and he also looked into ways to destroy and drive out their world.

So, he also learned about nukes, the worst weapon that existed even before the players existed.

“Crazy… three thousand nukes?”

What Lee Ro-woon said wasn’t an exaggeration.

The entire Asian region would be destroyed and annihilated….

“Then, if we leave it like this, it’ll explode?”

“No.”

Lee Ro-woon said.

“It’s a dimension, we could detonate it in another world. There are many ways. Well, there will be repercussions, though.”

“When will it explode?”

“Hmm. If we leave it alone, it’ll take decades?”

Decades.

It was something that could be thought of as a part of Earth collapsing after that.

“If we don’t leave it alone?”

“I can’t say for sure.”

Lee Ro-woon’s voice was without falsehood.

Lee Shin-woo asked one last question.

“What you’re about to do now….”

“It’s not leaving it alone. It’s provoking it.”

The answer came.

“I won’t do it.”

Lee Shin-woo said with a sigh.

“Even if it’s the key to the liberation of the players, I can’t put them in such danger.”

If they failed, they would have to lose even more.

It was no different from putting the cart before the horse.

No matter how important the liberation of the players was, and even if there was a reason to do so, this wasn’t it.

“I can’t do it.”

Also, one of the reasons why Lee Shin-woo couldn’t do it was that he had to bear the burden of those countless lives.

“Hmm.”

Lee Ro-woon, who seemed to be backing down more easily than expected.

“That won’t happen.”

He continued to speak as if it was nothing.

“You’re going to do it anyway, hyung [older brother].”

“What? Are you crazy?”

“Even if it’s not the Gae Shin Library from the start.”

Lee Ro-woon continued.

“The world will collapse anyway.”

At that, everyone opened their mouths again.

“Wh, what does that mean? The world is collapsing? You’re saying it’s not because of the Gae Shin Library?”

“Yeah.”

Lee Ro-woon said.

“Looking at the information in the Gae Shin Library, and what I feel, it’s like that.”

“So, what does that mean!”

“What Eun did was to drive stakes into the world.”

Stakes.

“The stakes suppress the flow of ki [life force] and magic, and control and suppress the players.”

They couldn’t understand just by hearing that.

“What happens if you block a flowing river?”

“It bursts.”

“It’s the same.”

Lee Ro-woon said as if declaring it.

“It bursts.”

“……!”

The images that came to mind.

Those who had roughly understood Lee Ro-woon’s words bit their lips.

“So… if we leave the stakes as they are, the world will be destroyed anyway?”

“It’s a fact that Eun already knows.”

And that they were also finding a way to stop and control it.

The Gae Shin Library told them.

“Reversal always comes with a price. Even if Eun or Ainhart found a way to stop it, what’s going to burst will burst someday. So….”

“Damn it. You’re right.”

Lee Shin-woo said.

“I have no choice but to do it.”

The swaying gate of the Gae Shin Library.

“I won’t ask about the probability of success… because I have to succeed anyway.”

“You know it well.”

Lee Shin-woo seemed to have made up his mind.

Step.

A step towards the Gae Shin Library.

Towards such Lee Shin-woo.

-Don’t worry too much.

Lee Ro-woon’s telepathic message came.

-You can do it, hyung.

The power of the Intervener, and Lee Shin-woo’s limiter, had already been released.

Also….

Step.

The Gae Shin Library was already kneeling before Lee Ro-woon.

Lee Ro-woon was certain.

“Go.”

Lee Shin-woo stepped into the Gae Shin Library.

“Kuh, Kuaaaaak!”

His scream was heard through the gap in the dimension.

And then.

Whoosh!

The gate of the Gae Shin Library closed.

“From now on, it’s entirely up to hyung.”

All that was left was to watch.

* * *

It was uncertain how long it would take for Lee Shin-woo to take over the Gae Shin Library.

But at least it would be better than deciphering Open Heaven’s code and finding the location of the stakes.

‘Because he’s one of the few people I acknowledge.’

Because he had seen Lee Shin-woo since childhood.

He could trust him.

Click!

The traffic light turned green.

Step, step.

Numerous people crossed the crosswalk according to the changed signal.

Their faces were filled with a vitality that hadn’t been there before.

“What are you doing after work today?”

“I have to go home.”

“How about a drink?”

People having everyday conversations.

“At night….”

The person who felt something stuck in their throat soon spat it out.

“It’s okay now.”

Ordinary people didn’t walk the streets at night.

Only the fearless young people roamed the streets at night, while those who had something to protect and something to lose went home around sunset and locked their doors.

That was the daily life of the changed world.

Drunk Murim people [martial artists], and the players who suffered from them.

Also, the players who suffered like that would find another target to vent their anger on.

Therefore, for ordinary people, daily life was when the sun was up.

“Yeah, let’s have a drink today.”

The government, the association, the guilds.

No one protected the people.

They were used out of necessity, and they only went out into society to make a living.

There wasn’t much they could do in society.

But that daily life was changing.

“I can’t believe it.”

The change had only been happening for a short time.

The most important issue for people living, public safety.

“Such a quiet street.”

The cars speeding on the road, and the citizens walking the streets, their expressions weren’t bad.

The fear and terror that had been present everywhere until recently had greatly diminished.

“This is all….”

A change.

“It’s all thanks to the Milky Way.”

It was due to the Milky Way.

Kim San-tae, who had become the association president, said that he would reorganize the association and focus on maintaining public safety.

In line with that, the players who were in a cooperative relationship with the Milky Way, the Milky Way, had stepped forward to maintain public safety.

Thud.

What would have been a mess just from bumping into a Murim person before.

“Be careful.”

It was ending with a warning.

The world was changing.

Back to normal.

“This is all thanks to you.”