Disciple of The Three Kings [EN]: Chapter 495

Sanctuary.

That was the word the Shinma Alliance used to refer to Igdrasil.

A place entirely Rowoon’s, where his grace was said to dwell.

The sturdy gates of that sanctuary slowly began to open.

“To your land, Igdrasil.”

Hase-min’s voice.

And he and Rowoon began to walk forward.

Shadows of several figures were cast upon the large gate.

Thud.

Although their faces were not clearly visible in the bright light, Rowoon knew who they were without even seeing them.

“Welcome….”

A choked voice.

“Welcome back.”

Tang Hwa-young, the head of the Tang family who had been entrusted with the Silver River, was there, smiling as she greeted Rowoon.

And it wasn’t just her.

Lee San-hoo, Jung Chi-soo, Kang Han-cheol….

Those who could be called the core of the Shinma Alliance.

“Welcome, Shinma.”

Their choked faces began to reveal themselves as the light faded.

Hase-min, whom he had faced after five years, had changed a lot in those five years.

And so had they.

“Everyone.”

They had all changed as well.

“It’s been a while, everyone.”

Rowoon’s voice.

“Hah.”

Tang Hwa-young covered her mouth as if she couldn’t bear it.

There was no need to check if this was someone impersonating Rowoon, like they had with Hase-min.

The fact that Hase-min had brought him here was enough.

“…….”

Looking at the new figures standing behind him and the demons of Gehenna.

“You still manage to surprise me even when we meet again.”

He could be sure that it was Rowoon.

As Lee San-hoo had said, only Rowoon in this world could do something like this.

So this was.

Clack!

Rowoon’s return.

Some clasped their hands in respect.

Some simply smiled.

“Welcome back.”

Even his own flesh and blood, Lee Shin-woo, was there.

His heart had been barren until he met his past masters.

He had thought that the embers had been rekindled when he met his masters, but they were just tiny sparks.

But now it was different.

Flap.

He could feel something burning within his chest.

‘It’s ironic.’

Rowoon realized what was causing his change.

It was a change that had occurred after losing the Martial King and the Demon King, who had healed him.

The desire not to lose the precious things again, that was….

‘They’ve become precious to me at some point.’

That they had become precious to him.

Thud.

Rowoon stopped walking.

“Has everyone been well?”

Some flinched at Rowoon’s small smile.

However.

Smirk.

They also responded with smiles.

“We haven’t been well.”

“How could we have been?”

They spoke with smiles, but the emotions within were clearly felt.

“We have been waiting.”

“We believed you would return.”

Again.

“Welcome back.”

They greeted him again.

It was the first time.

This land, Igdrasil, was his property, but it was not his hometown.

He had spent more time on Earth than here, and more time in the chaotic rift than on Earth.

However.

“…….”

His heart was touched.

‘A hometown… is it?’

A hometown.

A feeling like he had returned home.

“I’m realizing a lot today.”

He was able to realize one more thing.

That a hometown was not the land where he was born and raised.

That a home was not the space where he lived and resided.

A hometown, a home.

‘A place where precious people are.’

Yes, it was a place where people precious to him existed.

So this place was his hometown now.

It was then.

“What…!”

Along with a voice of surprise.

Swoosh-!

A sound of tearing through the air was heard.

They were momentarily taken aback by the sudden situation.

“Welcome back…!”

A slightly small woman was hugging Rowoon tightly.

He felt moisture on his chest.

“Yes.”

A sensation he had felt in a long time.

“Welcome… back.”

A face he had seen in a long time.

“Baek Cheong. It’s been a while.”

Jongnam’s Divine Maiden, Baek Cheong, was here.

* * *

They were heading towards Igdrasil after passing through the gates.

The long procession that followed behind him was reminiscent of the time when the Blood Cult was rampant in the Philippines.

But it was different from that time.

Step! Step!

The people who were gathering were not onlookers or terrified citizens.

They were those who had volunteered to become residents of Igdrasil.

Those who belonged to the Shinma Alliance and were protected under the name of Shinma were out on the streets, watching the return of their king.

Step! Step!

The people following behind Rowoon were also different.

They were not those with blind faith or those in the beginning stages, but those who truly believed in and followed Rowoon.

They were comrades who had fought and risked their lives for each other for five years.

Step! Step!

They were crossing Igdrasil.

Rowoon walked forward, looking at their faces.

‘Elves.’

The residents of this world, who could be called the natives of Igdrasil.

When he first saw them, they were in a state where they could die at any moment due to the influence of the corrupted World Tree.

Also, their numbers were close to extinction, so they were very few.

Those elves had changed.

Although they were tired and sharp, they had a bit of composure.

Their numbers had also increased significantly, filling one side.

“That person….”

Most of them were newly born beings.

It was clear that they were not the 0th generation that Rowoon had faced, but a new generation.

“That person….”

The elves’ god, the elves called their guardian god Elk.

And the being that opposed him.

‘Chaos.’

They called chaos Kron.

Rowoon was.

“Elk….”

“Kron…!”

He was both Elk and Kron.

Even though there was a separate Elk in this land, Rowoon was the one who breathed new life into this land and was the incarnation of war.

Next, there were many Murim [martial arts world] people.

“…….”

Those who belonged to the Silver Alliance.

They were the ones who had to face an ending like destruction by Rowoon.

The Nine Great Sects, the Five Great Families.

And many other small and medium-sized sects.

They were.

-Most of them surrendered to the Shinma Alliance.

They had accepted the new order and the new Silver Alliance.

They had surrendered to the Shinma Alliance and settled down, and those who had joined the Blood Cult even before the collapse of the Mount Hua Sect, the Shaolin Temple, and the Hui, had already settled in Igdrasil and solidified their positions.

Clack!

They clasped their hands in respect.

It was to celebrate the return of their leader, who had been vacant until now.

Clack!

It was also a sign of reverence to a Murim person who had entered transcendence.

Clack!

It was also a thank you to the benefactor who had turned them back from the wrong path.

Thud.

Rowoon walked that path.

All those paths seemed to represent the path he had walked.

Elves, Murim people.

Next were.

“That person is….”

“I’ve never seen them before.”

Perhaps the most familiar beings to Rowoon.

They were players.

They were members of the Blue Army, who had engraved blue patterns on their armor and had given everything to liberate the players at the forefront of the Player Liberation Front.

Many had died and been injured, and many had left.

Nevertheless, those who survived.

Clack.

They saluted Rowoon.

Their efforts were not meaningless, but the biggest reason why the players were liberated and found freedom was Rowoon.

It was respect and gratitude.

And the players who had been with him even before that.

“…….”

There were also players who silently cast their gazes at Rowoon with their mouths shut.

Most of them were those who had joined the Shinma Alliance after Rowoon disappeared.

And their exotic appearances.

-They are players from the Einheart side.

Players from Einheart had joined the Shinma Alliance.

The player liberation that Rowoon had achieved was not limited to players in the Asian region.

It was worldwide.

Players from the Einheart side had also been liberated that day.

Those who had followed the cause, the result, and the gratitude.

However, those who had not fought together.

Swoosh.

They bowed their heads, greeting Rowoon with an Eastern gesture.

“…….”

Rowoon only glanced at them and continued forward.

And finally, there were the knights and mages of Einheart.

Igdrasil.

This was a land where everyone gathered and lived together.

It had become a sanctuary and a sacred place.

And.

“Welcome.”

Laman, the ruler of Igdrasil, greeted Rowoon.

* * *

It was a strange space.

A space where the appearances of Earth, the Silver Alliance, and Einheart could be found.

At the same time, the main axis of the space was this place, which was the root of Igdrasil.

“This is the Grand Hall.”

This was the Shinma’s Grand Hall, the Shinma Hall.

“I knew you wouldn’t like it, but it couldn’t be helped.”

Hase-min said with a bitter smile.

“There aren’t many who can just wait for a five-year gap.”

The Shinma was vacant.

The Shinma Alliance had been launched and had achieved victory, but its leader was vacant.

However, there was no one who could fill that vacancy.

At first, if the Shinma’s position had to be filled urgently, Kang Han-cheol, Hase-min, or Tang Hwa-young were considered as temporary candidates.

-It’s impossible.

No one even thought of claiming to be the Shinma.

A being that everyone could follow without objection.

“We needed a symbol.”

So they created the Shinma Hall.

That Rowoon would return someday, that he had not disappeared but had only left his position.

That this was the place they had prepared for him.

“Still, it’s too extravagant.”

“Each faction had clear desires, so it couldn’t be helped.”

It was the result of concessions for harmony.

“I don’t intend to say anything, but there won’t be a reason to use this place often.”

“…….”

Hase-min seemed a little disappointed at Rowoon’s words.

Rowoon smiled at that sight and slowly walked forward.

A long, long walk.

The throne at the end of it.

“Still, for today….”

Rowoon sat there and looked around.

“Let’s have you sit.”

The path he had walked.

And….

‘Is this the end?’

Looking at it, it seemed like the end of this path was visible.

However, there was something he had to do first.

The five-year gap when he was absent.

“There are some faces I don’t see.”

It was time to check that.