Disciple of The Three Kings [EN]: Chapter 31

The Three Kings’ Disciple (32)

031

The door to Armo’s base opened.

Another passage appeared.

But there were no more traps or magic circles.

‘There’s a limit to the dungeon cost.’

A dungeon is a world that has been destroyed and fragmented.

It meant an isolated world.

Like the Blood King’s Castle, a fragmented world needs nourishment to maintain itself.

Dungeon cost referred to the surplus resources, excluding the nourishment needed to maintain the world.

Magic circles, traps, and monsters within the dungeon were maintained through this cost.

‘There was something big like the sacrifice magic circle.’

Armo is not a large world.

The size of the world and the dungeon cost are almost proportional.

There would be no more prepared traps.

“For the sin of showing disrespect to the Blood Demon, if my life is not needed, then a single arm….”

“Please, shut that mouth! Shut it!”

When Lee Rowoon shouted at Jung Chi-soo, Jung Chi-soo quickly closed his mouth.

“Ha.”

The Blood Cultists.

They had been trapped in the Blood King’s Castle for a long time, waiting for their god, the Blood Demon, so it wasn’t hard to understand their fanaticism.

Well, it’s not like I think it’s all bad, but they should keep it moderate.

“And it’s not disrespect.”

Lee Rowoon said.

“It’s a difference.”

“…….”

“It’s been decades since Earth and Eun were mixed. During that time, the martial artists of Eun have constantly strived to maintain their world or to reach higher places.”

Divine Weapon.

Originally, martial artists cannot use items.

Items were the exclusive property of players, and in the early stages of the world’s invasion, players used items to fight against martial artists.

However, as time passed, martial artists found ways to use items.

Of course, they weren’t worthless enough for just anyone to use, but since there were also mass-produced Divine Weapons, it could be said that most of the martial artists active on Earth were equipped with Divine Weapons.

On the other hand, what about the Blood King’s Castle?

-Martial artists shouldn’t be consumed by tools….

A sigh escaped me.

The elders wouldn’t have wanted the martial artists of the Blood Cult to become stronger.

Given their position of having to hide and wait for the Blood Demon, they wouldn’t have wanted the martial artists to be interested in things outside their world.

‘Because if you have power, you want to use it.’

That’s the result.

“Yuk Sagul is no match for you. You know that, right?”

“Yes, of course.”

The difference in skill between Jung Chi-soo and Yuk Sagul was clear.

In the first place, wasn’t Jung Chi-soo, who was restricted before using the Divine Weapon, the one who pushed Yuk Sagul back?

“In martial arts and martial principles, you won. Even in enlightenment.”

Lee Rowoon said.

“It’s just that the difference in stats is big.”

Buff magic like Strength, Haste, and Inner Energy Amplification.

With just that, a martial artist becomes noticeably stronger.

‘If Yuk Sagul’s sword hadn’t been damaged while blocking the explosion.’

Jung Chi-soo would have had a harder fight.

“You could have overwhelmed him after releasing the restriction.”

The Blood Sword Unit, with the Blood Demon Art’s restriction lifted, overwhelmed the martial artists who used the power of Divine Weapons.

“But what if a strong person similar to you, who has released the restriction, uses a Divine Weapon?”

“…….”

Jung Chi-soo couldn’t answer.

“So, follow Kang Eun-ha well. The priestess will take care of it.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

“You took good care of the Divine Weapons, right?”

“Yes.”

Lee Rowoon nodded as if he had done well.

Even if Divine Weapons were of a similar grade to ordinary items, they were traded at several times higher prices.

In the first place, they were items that couldn’t be traded.

“You won’t be able to use them right away. Take them and put them away.”

Lee Rowoon, having said that, stopped walking.

At the same time, Jung Chi-soo, who was walking next to him, also stopped.

“…….”

The players who were following behind them.

The rest of the Blood Sword Unit also stopped.

Step.

Lee Rowoon took another step forward.

Ripple.

The entire space rippled as if it was shaking.

Like when he met the Black Lion King, the space suddenly changed.

Lee Rowoon was standing in a large hollow within the dungeon.

Woo-oong!

Magic circles all around were glaring at Lee Rowoon.

***

Before they knew it, everyone had been moved to the hollow with Lee Rowoon.

The magic lamps attached to the ceiling and walls emitted a faint light, creating a dawn-like glow.

Lee Rowoon turned his head and looked around.

Woo-oong.

Dozens of individual magic circles were floating, glaring at Lee Rowoon and his group.

“Hiss…!”

The players were so surprised that they gasped.

“Overlapping magic circles…!”

The other players had the same reaction.

Due to the dungeon cost, there were no more magic circles created as traps.

In other words, the magic circles that were targeting them now were magic circles cast by someone.

Ripple.

The space in front of them rippled again.

There, dozens of mages wearing long robes were standing.

“H-how….”

The mages, with shocked faces, were maintaining the magic circles with their hands outstretched.

“The activation of the magic circles… stopped?”

They seemed not to understand the current situation.

Swish.

Lee Rowoon pointed at the magic circles floating in the air with his finger.

Zzzzt, zzzzt.

The magic circles were making noise.

A red needle was stuck in one corner of the magic circle’s axis.

“It’s better not to do anything reckless.”

Lee Rowoon’s languid voice echoed loudly.

It was a voice amplified by inner energy.

“If you carelessly remove the magic circles now, they will go berserk.”

The result of the magic circles going berserk was a mana backflow for the mages who activated them.

If they made a mistake, there was a possibility that even the circles they had created with their lives would be broken.

“That’s impossible!”

A white-haired old mage shouted.

“In that short time, you found the axis of the magic circles and caused noise in the central axis! And that too, in so many magic circles at the same time…!”

“It’s a difficult task.”

Lee Rowoon said in an indifferent voice.

“But you’re feeling it directly, aren’t you?”

Twitch.

The mages’ expressions became even more distorted.

Since they were the ones who activated the magic circles, they would be feeling the most significant sense of incongruity from the magic circles.

“Did… you do this?”

A young but strong voice was heard from among the mages.

“Did you forcibly twist the sacrifice magic circle and change the number of sacrifices?”

Poof!

One of the magic circles disappeared on its own.

It had cut off the mana supply to the magic circle that was making noise and extinguished it.

It was easy to say, but it was something that required enduring mana backflow, and cutting off the supply to a magic circle that someone else had transformed was like understanding a completely new magic circle in an instant.

“That’s right.”

“…….”

The mage, now free to move, had broken through the ranks of the other mages.

Small stature, short-cropped hair.

He was a young man with a youthful face reminiscent of a high school student.

“Why is someone like you….”

He probably meant why he was with the martial artists.

“That stupid face hasn’t changed at all, has it?”

“……?”

“I mean, that athlete-like appearance that doesn’t suit a mage at all.”

Lee Rowoon took a step forward.

“Cough!”

Some of the mages tried to cut off their mana supply and extinguish the magic circles, but instead, they were holding back blood from the mana backflow.

“Do… you know me?”

“How could I not?”

Lee Rowoon, he was already standing in front of the small mage.

There was no resistance.

He was probably dizzy.

How did he twist the sacrifice magic circle, how did he cause noise in these magic circles?

Even at this moment when his life was on the line, his mind was probably full of thoughts about the magic circles.

“I came to save you.”

“What….”

“Bondenno.”

“……!”

Bondenno, the Light Mage.

He was born as the successor of Armo, one of the organizations of Einheart that specialized in researching magic circles.

From a young age, his genius was recognized, and he tried to create a circle, but the circle went berserk, and in the end, despite being Armo’s successor, he only managed to create three circles.

He endured all that irrationality and weakness.

‘Magic circles.’

He was the one who overcame it with just that.

“It’s been a while.”

***

It was when he was living as a fugitive, betrayed by his guild members.

Escaping from the martial artists of Eun was an almost impossible task, at least in this part of Asia.

He fled and fled again, looking for a way to cross to the west.

But it was when he was finally cornered and faced the martial artists of Eun.

-This way!

A strange voice he had never heard before.

He followed it and was barely able to hide.

-Where did they go?

The martial artists couldn’t find him even though he was hiding right in front of them.

The concealment magic circle created by Bondenno had hidden them.

-Shhh.

In the end, they succeeded in shaking off the martial artists.

-Why?

A person he had never met before.

He didn’t know why he had saved him.

That’s when he said.

-Because you and I are the same. That’s why.

After that, Bondenno helped him hide for a while.

Until the time he was about to leave, having found a way to go west.

During that time, Lee Rowoon was also able to learn about Bondenno.

-You’re that Light Mage?

That he was the famous Light Mage.

When he was about to leave South Korea with his help.

-Damn it. Go!

That guy had found them.

-So you were here with this rat.

The Plum Blossom Sword Master.

He was a monster.

Even he, who was close to a high ranker, and Bondenno, who was known as a Light Mage.

They had no choice but to be defeated.

-I’m sorry.

It was her.

His girlfriend, whom he had believed would be with him until the end, had betrayed him and revealed his location.

That day, he became a slave of the Hwasan Guild.

-No…!

Bondenno died at the hands of the Plum Blossom Sword Master that day.

That’s what he had known.

Until Ha Se-min mentioned his name again.

* * *

“Me, you came to save me?”

Bondenno said with a face that showed he didn’t understand.

“I don’t know you. But why…?”

Everyone was looking at Bondenno and Lee Rowoon.

“You and I.”

Lee Rowoon said in a monotonous voice.

“Are the same.”

“…….”

A ripple appeared in Bondenno’s eyes.

“That’s why.”

When Lee Rowoon finished speaking, he had an indescribable expression on his face with his eyes wide open.

“You… you… that can’t be….”

“Everyone betrayed me. Even the woman I loved.”

He spoke so calmly.

“But you, who I had never met, gave your life for me. Why did you do that?”

He couldn’t ask at that time.

He had only heard that he and I were the same.

He was afraid that if he asked more, he would leave.

He was afraid that unexpected words would come out of his mouth.

Because then, he would eventually be caught.

“I….”

“I don’t understand.”

“I….”

Bondenno said with tears welling up in his eyes.

“I liked Dank.”

“Dank?”

The players and mages murmured.

“The stories of Dank were the object of my admiration, as I struggled to leave Armo and save Armo.”

Was that so?

Bondenno had liked that which had been tarnished and ruined by betrayal?

He had been branded as a murderer of his comrades, no one believed in him, and even the person he thought was his life partner had abandoned him, but Bondenno had believed in him.

In him, the leader of Dank.

“You really… you… you….”

“I’ll save you.”

Lee Rowoon reached out his hand.

“Just like you saved me that day, I will save you too.”

Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!

The magic circles that had filled the surroundings shattered in an instant.

But none of the mages suffered from mana backflow.

“You’ll have to help me, Bondenno.”

Bondenno’s face was still trembling as if he couldn’t believe it.

The guy reached out his small but firm hand and said.

“It’s an honor. My hero.”

My Sword King teacher had said.

-Do you wish for even that speck of dust to burn and disappear?

No, that’s not it.

Teacher.

Clench.

I saved it.

That speck of dust.