Dungeon Odyssey [EN]: Chapter 278

Dungeon Journal-278

# 278

Dungeon Journal

279. Branch of the Mistletoe Tree

It was already the third time I had visited the Eternal Armory, but it felt completely different than before.

The place that had once threatened to devour my very existence, its tongue darting out menacingly, no longer antagonized or tempted its master.

“You have been completely recognized by the Armory. Well, considering you’ve even inherited Valhalla, it would be absurd for the Armory to deny your qualifications.”

Mimir seemed unusually moved, admitting that he hadn’t seen the Armory like this in a long time.

“Do you have any particular advice for me this time?”

At Kim Jin-woo’s question, Mimir, who had subtly stepped aside to clear the path, offered a quick word.

“If I may be so bold, do not linger within for too long. The brilliance of the treasures is certainly pleasing to the eye, but one can sometimes become so captivated by the light that they forget what is truly important.”

After saying that, he seemed to realize he had spoken out of turn to the true master, considering he was just a mere caretaker. With an embarrassed expression, he quickly added,

“Of course, if the rightful owner is pleased with what he finds within, the Eternal Armory will also rejoice.”

He chuckled at Mimir’s response and stood at the entrance of the Armory.

“If the Armory is as great as you say, it might take a long time. You don’t need to wait for me here; focus on the matters of the surface.”

Mimir simply bowed his head in response, not uttering a word. It was clear that this greedy imp wanted to see with his own eyes what treasures he would bring out.

“Then, I’ll be off.”

With a short click of his tongue, Kim Jin-woo stepped into the shimmering surface of the Armory. The once calm entrance rippled and then sucked his foot in without resistance.

“Hmm.”

As he groaned at the unfamiliar sensation, his entire body was pulled through the entrance.

[You have finally stepped into the ancient treasury.]

[The Eternal Armory is as mysterious as the halls of the High Lords and a treasure trove of unparalleled wealth in the history of the Underworld. If not for the Eternal Armory, the One-Eyed Monarch and the warmongers of Valhalla might have starved.]

[Before the greatest war, the Twilight [Ragnarok, the end of the world in Norse mythology], the One-Eyed Monarch opened this Armory to others just once. The weapons that flowed out at that time were enough to arm all the soldiers of the ten monarchs who had set out for the final war, with plenty to spare.]

[But unfortunately, the war ended in defeat, and the owner of the Armory was killed by the terrifying beast, Night.]

[As a result, most of the weapons that had been released at that time were not recovered.]

Messages appeared incessantly as soon as he crossed into the Armory.

[Some of the lost weapons have been returned to their original places by the diligent caretaker, but no matter how diligent and resourceful he was, the weapons and treasures he recovered were far less than those from the most prosperous era of the Twilight.]

[The Eternal Armory seems to hope that its new master will reclaim the stolen items.]

“Ah……”

The history of this place was of no concern to him. Kim Jin-woo couldn’t help but exclaim at the sight of the Armory beyond the dazzling messages.

He couldn’t distinguish the floor from the air, nor could he discern the boundaries between light and shadow. He couldn’t tell where it began or where it ended.

The world where nothing existed was both empty and filled with all sorts of things, a bustling chaos in itself.

[Giant’s Belt.]

[This belt was used by the king of the giants, the One-Eyed Monarch’s most formidable adversary. The giant king used the immense power flowing from this belt to tear apart countless Einherjar [fallen warriors chosen to fight for Odin in Valhalla] and put the One-Eyed Monarch in a difficult position.]

[But in the end, the giant king was deceived by the lures of the Omen and Baek-o, driven to the front of Valhalla’s spire, and ultimately struck down by Mjolnir [Thor’s hammer].]

[Only the belt, once the symbol of the giant’s valor, remained to remind that the giant king, once the One-Eyed Monarch’s rival, had existed in the Underworld.]

[This belt, which provides the wearer with the strength and toughness of a giant, is in itself an unparalleled treasure, but unfortunately, it is too heavy and enormous to be worn by anyone other than a giant.]

[The One-Eyed Monarch used it as a whip in battle a few times, but he didn’t seem to like it very much. Soon, he threw this priceless treasure into the Armory and forgot about it.]

The belt, radiating a tremendous power that made one’s body shrink back, filled his vision.

Normally, he would have been captivated by such an item, but among the treasures around him, there was not a single one that was less impressive than the belt, so he soon turned his gaze to another treasure.

[Dwarf’s Chains.]

[These chains, created to forcibly fix the gradually tilting Underworld’s moon and sun, do not melt in the hottest flames or freeze in the coldest chill. But unfortunately, the moon and sun fell before the dwarves could complete them, and since then, they have been used to bind the most ferocious beasts and prisoners.]

[These chains, which cannot be broken even by the strongest teeth and claws, are a powerful weapon in themselves.]

[However, the problem is that the clanging sound is so loud that enemies will notice your presence just by hearing it.]

Swords and shields, whips and spears, bows and armor. Everything visible was a precious item, a treasure, and there was nothing that wasn’t a divine weapon.

But among them, there was one item that particularly caught his eye.

A crooked, unsightly tree branch, unlike the glittering weapons, showing no radiance at all, looked utterly pathetic.

But despite that, he couldn’t take his eyes off the tree branch that looked like it would be used by a hunched old man.

[Spear made from a branch of the Mistletoe Tree.]

[This spear is made from the branch of the youngest tree among the mistletoe trees that once thrived in the Underworld.]

[It may look like a flimsy twig that couldn’t even be used as a switch, but in fact, this unremarkable spear is the magical weapon that the most powerful monarch, the One-Eyed Monarch, feared and kept in the Armory, never taking it out even once.]

Unlike the other weapons, there was no mention of any power, just a short description, but Kim Jin-woo reached out and grasped the branch without realizing it.

[You have become the owner of the spear made from a branch of the Mistletoe Tree.]

***

“My Lord!”

As expected, Mimir hadn’t left and was guarding the spot.

“You came out sooner than expected.”

As he said that, his eyes darted around, clearly showing signs of searching.

“Oh! Those are the chains made by the dwarves, and isn’t that the Roaring Horn?”

Mimir quickly recognized the chains and horn in his hand and chattered noisily.

“Although the sound is loud, those chains are the strongest that cannot be broken by anything. The price I paid to retrieve them alone was enormous.”

It was unclear whether he was explaining the items or boasting.

“That horn actually belongs to someone, to the Dawn Chicken under your command. I found it again after it was lost in the chaos. If you give it to the Dawn Chicken, it will be very happy.”

After that, Mimir continued to explain and boast about all the items Kim Jin-woo had brought out of the Eternal Armory.

“But it seems you didn’t find anything you particularly liked. I thought you would bring out enough weapons to arm the entire Naga this time.”

Mimir then subtly offered an unasked-for excuse.

“Well, even though I searched everywhere, the current Armory cannot be the same as it was in the past. There may not have been many items that caught your eye.”

“No, unlike what you say, there were many things I liked. It’s just that I only have one body, so I couldn’t bring them all out at once.”

In fact, Kim Jin-woo couldn’t easily tear himself away from the Armory as he left.

How could he leave so easily when there were so many weapons in the Armory that would immediately do their part if he just took them out?

But the regret was only momentary. It was because he had discovered an unexpected ability of the Armory.

“I will move the Armory.”

“Yes?”

Mimir’s eyes widened in surprise at his words.

“Move the Armory, you say?”

“That’s right. This place is not easy to defend. So, I intend to move the Armory to Valhalla.”

“A, are you saying that’s possible?”

Kim Jin-woo nodded.

When he was regretting that he could only carry a limited number of items at once, the Eternal Armory surprisingly asked to be moved on its own accord.

And he decided to move the Eternal Armory without a second thought.

“I’ve only brought out the items that caught my eye right now; I plan to take out the weapons to arm the Naga all at once after moving the Armory.”

“Ah……”

Mimir’s expression, which had initially hidden a hint of joy at seeing him bring out fewer items than expected, quickly darkened.

But there was no way a mere caretaker could stop the original owner of the Armory from moving it.

“Sorry about that.”

“I, it’s alright. You are the rightful owner of the Armory. Whatever you do is your choice.”

“No, that’s not what I’m talking about.”

Mimir, not knowing what he meant and becoming increasingly anxious, asked for the reason.

“If the Armory is moved, this place will disappear. Well, this place itself was created by the power of the Armory, so it’s not surprising. Anyway, I’m sorry about that.”

The caretaker, finally realizing the meaning of the apology, opened his mouth wide and couldn’t close it.

Thud.

Mimir belatedly sat down on the floor with a despairing face.

“If you want, I can provide you and the Black Merchants with a place to operate in Valhalla.”

Mimir, staring at him as he shamelessly spouted nonsense without much remorse, scowled. He wanted to hurl a barrage of insults, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it, and his frustration was building up.

“Then, think carefully about what you’re going to do and come find me. I’ll be in Valhalla for the time being, so you can come there.”

Whether the caretaker, who had his entire Armory stolen, collapsed from frustration or not, he indifferently left a word and left the Eternal Armory without looking back.

“Heartless……”

After he left, Mimir, left alone, gnashed his teeth.

The greedy new owner of the Armory was insatiable and was not satisfied with taking out just a few weapons. So, he simply took the entire Armory away.