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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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The gate to Armo’s stronghold creaked open, revealing yet another passage. This time, however, there were no more traps or magic circles.
‘Even dungeons have a cost limit.’
A dungeon was nothing more than a fractured world on the brink of collapse—an isolated realm barely holding itself together. Like the Blood King’s Castle, these fragmented worlds required constant sustenance to remain stable. The “dungeon cost” referred to the surplus resources available after maintaining the world itself.
Traps, magic circles, and the monsters lurking within were all fueled by this cost.
‘Since they already used a large-scale sacrificial magic circle…’
Armo wasn’t a vast world. The size of a dungeon and its available cost were directly proportional. Now, with its resources drained, there were no more pre-set defenses standing in their way.
“For the disgrace I’ve shown before the Blood Demon… If my life is not needed, then at least let me atone with an arm—”
“For god’s sake, shut up! Just shut your mouth!”
At Jung Chi-soo’s solemn declaration, Lee Rowoon cut him off, his voice edged with irritation. Instantly, Jung Chi-soo pressed his lips together.
“Hah…”
These Blood Cultists… They had been trapped in the Blood King’s Castle for countless years, waiting for the return of their god, the Blood Demon. Lee Rowoon understood their unwavering devotion.
He didn’t even think it was entirely a bad thing.
But there had to be a limit.
“That wasn’t disgrace.”
Lee Rowoon’s voice cut through the silence.
“It was simply a difference in power.”
“……”
“It’s been decades since Earth and Eun merged,” Lee Rowoon continued, his voice calm but firm.
“During that time, the martial artists of Eun have continuously pushed their limits—whether to preserve their world or to ascend beyond their previous heights.”
Divine Armaments.
Originally, martial artists had no use for items. Equipment and artifacts were the domain of players, and in the early days of the world’s invasion, players had even relied on them to battle martial artists.
But over time, martial artists found a way to wield these items.
Of course, they weren’t so widespread that just anyone could use them. But with the mass production of Divine Armaments, most martial artists operating on Earth now incorporated them in some way.
And yet, in the Blood King’s Castle…
—Martial artists should not be consumed by mere tools…
A sigh escaped Lee Rowoon.
The elders had never wanted the Blood Cult’s martial artists to grow stronger. From their perspective—forced into hiding as they awaited the Blood Demon’s return—they likely rejected any interest in the outside world.
But power… power was something that, once obtained, demanded to be used.
And this was the result.
“Yuk Sagul was never a match for you. You knew that, didn’t you?”
“Yes, of course.”
The difference in skill between Jeong Chi-soo and Yuk Sagul had been overwhelming. Even while restricted, before he had activated his Divine Armament, Jeong Chi-soo had already dominated the fight.
“In terms of martial arts and martial reasoning, you won. Even in enlightenment.”
Lee Rowoon’s voice was steady as he spoke.
“The only real difference was in stats.”
Buff magic—Strength, Haste, Internal Energy Amplification—those enhancements alone could push a martial artist far beyond their limits.
If Yuk Sagul’s sword hadn’t broken while blocking that explosion…
Jeong Chi-soo would have had a much harder fight.
“But after lifting your restriction, you completely overpowered him.”
Once the Blood Restriction on the Blood Sword unit was lifted, they crushed martial artists who had relied on Divine Armaments.
“But what if an opponent as strong as you also used a Divine Armament?”
“…….”
Jeong Chi-soo had no answer.
“So just follow Kang Eun-ha. The Priestess will take care of everything.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
“You’ve gathered the Divine Armaments, right?”
“Yes.”
Lee Rowoon nodded in approval.
“Even if Divine Armaments are classified similarly to regular items, their value is several times higher.”
These were items that, by nature, were never meant to be traded.
“You won’t be able to use them right away. Just hold onto them for now.”
Lee Rowoon stopped suddenly, Jeong Chi-soo instinctively halted as well.
“…….”
The players behind them froze mid-step.
Even the remaining Blood Sword unit members stood still, their senses sharp.
Step.
Lee Rowoon took another step forward.
Ripple.
The air itself seemed to waver, space distorting around them.
It was the same sensation he had felt when facing the Black Market King—a sudden shift, as if reality itself had been altered.
And just like that, he now stood in a massive underground chamber deep within the dungeon.
Wooooom!
The chamber pulsed with power.
Magical formations flared to life, intricate symbols weaving together as they locked onto him.
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At some point, everyone had been transported into the underground chamber along with Lee Rowoon.
The dim glow of magic lamps embedded in the ceiling and walls bathed the vast space in an eerie, dawn-like light.
Lee Rowoon slowly turned his head, scanning the area.
Woooong.
Dozens of magic formations hovered ominously in the air, radiating power as if glaring down at them.
“Gasp…!”
The players stiffened, their breath catching in their throats.
“Layered magic formations…!” someone whispered in disbelief.
The realization sent a ripple of tension through the group.
The Dungeon Cost had already been depleted—there shouldn’t have been any more automated trap formations.
Which meant…
These formations weren’t remnants of the dungeon’s defenses.
They were actively being cast.
Ripple.
The air ahead shimmered.
And then—
Dozens of figures emerged, draped in long robes.
Mages.
“H-How…?”
Their voices trembled with shock as they extended their hands, maintaining the intricate magical arrays that filled the chamber.
“You… stopped the activation of our magic formations…?”
Disbelief filled their voices.
Swiik.
Lee Rowoon raised a finger, casually pointing at the suspended magic formations.
Crackle. Sizzle.
The formations flickered, unstable, their once-perfect structures now distorted.
At one of the formation’s core axes, a single red needle was embedded.
“You’d better not make any reckless moves,” Lee Rowoon murmured, his voice carrying through the chamber.
His words weren’t loud.
But they vibrated through the air—amplified by his inner force.
“If you try to cancel the formation carelessly now, it’ll go berserk.”
A deadly silence followed.
They understood what that meant.
The formations weren’t just stalled—they had been rigged. If they lost control, the mana they had poured into them would backfire.
If things went really wrong… the magic circles they had spent their entire lives constructing could collapse entirely.
“That’s ridiculous!”
A white-haired archmage shouted, his face twisting in rage and disbelief.
“Are you saying that in such a short moment, you identified the axis of our formations and disrupted the central core? And not just one, but all of these formations at the same time?!”
The white-haired archmage’s voice trembled with disbelief.
“It’s a difficult task, isn’t it?”
Lee Rowoon’s tone remained casual, almost indifferent.
“But you can feel it yourselves, can’t you?”
Flinch.
The mages’ expressions darkened.
As the ones who had cast the formations, they could sense the abnormalities most vividly. The delicate balance of their magic had been tampered with—no, completely overturned.
“Was it you…?”
A voice cut through the tense atmosphere, calm yet commanding.
From within the ranks of the mages, a figure stepped forward.
“Did you forcefully distort the Sacrificial Magic Formation and alter the number of sacrifices?”
Flash!
One of the suspended formations flickered violently—then collapsed.
Mana unraveled in a chaotic surge before dissipating.
It hadn’t been destroyed.
Its flow had been severed.
A feat that required enduring mana backlash—something only possible if one had fully comprehended the altered formation in an instant.
“That’s right,” Lee Rowoon answered without hesitation.
“…….”
The young mage who had spoken took another step forward, breaking through the ranks of his fellow spellcasters.
He was shorter than the others, with closely cropped hair.
His youthful face could have belonged to a high school student, but the weight in his eyes told a different story.
“Why would someone like you…?”
Be with martial artists—that was likely what he meant.
Lee Rowoon smirked.
“That dumb expression of yours hasn’t changed a bit.”
“……?”
“You still look more like an athlete than a mage.”
Lee Rowoon took a step forward.
Guh…!
Some of the mages attempted to sever their mana supply to dissolve the formations, but instead, they coughed up blood as the backlash surged through them.
“You… know me?”
“How could I not?”
By now, Lee Rowoon was standing right in front of him.
There was no resistance.
The young mage—his mind must have been racing.
How had Lee Rowoon distorted the Sacrificial Magic Formation?
How had he interfered with all these formations at once?
Even with his life hanging by a thread, his thoughts were likely consumed by only one thing—magic circles.
“I came to save you,” Lee Rowoon said.
“What…?”
His eyes widened.
“Bodenoi.”
“……!”
Archmage Bodenoi.
Born as the heir of Armo, one of Einheart’s leading institutions specializing in magic circles.
Recognized as a genius from an early age, he had attempted to construct a circle—but it had spiraled out of control.
Despite his prestigious lineage, he had only managed to create three circles before his efforts ended in failure.
All that injustice and weakness—he had borne it alone.
A magic circle.
The one thing that had allowed him to survive.
“It’s been a while.”
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It was during the time when he was on the run, betrayed by his own guild members.
Escaping from the Silver Martial Artists—at least within Asia—was close to impossible.
He kept running, desperately searching for a way west.
But in the end, he was cornered, forced to face the Silver Martial Artists head-on.
—”This way!”
A voice—unfamiliar, yet clear.
He followed it, barely slipping into a place to hide.
—”Where did he go?”
The martial artists stood right in front of him, yet they couldn’t see him.
It was Bodenoi’s concealment magic circle that had hidden them.
—”Shhh.”
Eventually, they lost the pursuers.
—”Why?”
A stranger—someone he had never met before.
Why had he saved him?
And then Bodenoi had said:
—”Because you and I are the same. That’s why.”
For a while after that, Bodenoi continued to help him hide.
Until the moment he finally found a way west.
And in that time, Lee Rowoon had learned more about Bodenoi.
—”You’re that mad mage?”
Lee Rowoon had realized it then—this was the famous Archmage Bodenoi.
They had been preparing to leave South Korea when everything fell apart.
—”Damn it. Run!”
They had been found.
A voice, cold and mocking, cut through the air.
—”So this is where you were hiding, along with that little rat.”
Plum Blossom Swordmaster.
A monster had appeared.
Now, standing in this underground chamber, Lee Rowoon met Bodenoi’s bewildered gaze.
“I came to save you.”
Confusion flickered across Bodenoi’s face.
“I don’t know you. So why…?”
Silence hung between them, the weight of every watching eye pressing in.
“Because you and I—”
Lee Rowoon’s voice was calm, devoid of hesitation.
“—are the same.”
A ripple spread through Bodenoi’s gaze, uncertainty warring with recognition.
“That’s why.”
At those words, his eyes widened, his expression twisting into something indescribable.
“You… You… No way…”
Lee Rowoon’s voice remained emotionless, as if stating a simple fact.
“Everyone betrayed me. Even the woman I loved.”
A truth so simple, yet so heavy.
“But you—someone I had never even met before—gave your life for me. Why?”
Back then, he never asked.
All he had heard back then was:
“Because you and I are the same.”
And he hadn’t dared to ask anything more.
If he had, Bodenoi might have left.
If he had, Bodenoi might have said something unexpected.
And then, Lee Rowoon would have been caught.
“I…”
Bodenoi’s voice trembled.
“I just don’t understand.”
His fists clenched at his sides as his breath hitched.
“I…”
Tears welled up in his eyes.
“I liked Dank.”
“Dank?”
Murmurs rippled through the players and mages alike.
“When I left Armo, desperately trying to save it… Dank’s stories were my admiration.”
So that’s how it was.
Despite Dank being ruined by betrayal, despite its name being stained, Bodenoi had admired it.
Even when Rowoon was branded a murderer.
When no one believed in him.
When even the person he thought would be his life companion abandoned him—
Bodenoi still believed.
Believed in the leader of Dank.
“You really… You… You….”
“I’ll save you.”
Lee Rowoon extended his hand.
“Just like you saved me that day, I’ll save you too.”
CRACK!
The countless magic circles shattered in an instant.
Yet, not one of the mages suffered from mana backlash.
“You’ll have to help me, Bodenoi.”
Bodenoi’s face trembled, still unable to believe what was happening.
Then, with those small but steady hands—he reached out.
“It’s an honor… my hero.”
His swordmaster mentor once asked:
“Do you wish for even the tiniest speck to burn and disappear?”
No, I do not.
Master.
Clench.
I saved it.
That tiny speck.
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