Chapter 676 – The Same But Different (1)
The Space Time Duel.
“What? Why is that coming up all of a sudden?!”
It all began with the past duel between Hoyeol and Sword Saint Shegwin.
Thanks to that battle, AAU gained concrete knowledge about the Space Time Duel.
Branch Manager Park Minjae immediately accessed the official Arcana Continent Chronicle website.
“It’s… it’s real?”
It was only a fleeting moment.
But in that instant, tens of millions of users had already logged in, eagerly waiting for the Space Time Duel to begin.
Thankfully, unlike in the past, they had the experience to prepare for it…
But knowledge didn’t always equate to power.
“Who would even… in this situation…?”
Through the players who had stepped into the Anomaly Realm, they learned a fact:
Only Transcendents could enter the Space Time Duel arena.
Yet weren’t the players still recovering from fatigue?
“…Could it be the Arcanians?”
At first, he had his doubts.
A feature that had remained only in the planning phase—The Social Circle of Transcendents—had been implemented.
But hadn’t they confirmed it through repeated cross-verification?
Park Minjae muttered to himself,
“Of course, it couldn’t be the General Manager himself… right?”
Just earlier, Park Minjae had received the shocking emergency update that Zero Mountain had been cleared.
He was quite excited.
After all, wasn’t it a situation he had only imagined in passing?
What kind of path would Hoyeol walk now that he was free from the chains of being an ‘ally’?
To put it nicely, he was an ally.
But in truth, he was more of a burden holding them back.
A harsh statement for those who believed in him—but it was the truth.
The Supreme Commander’s true strength—
‘Of course I’d be curious.’
Thus, the clearing of Zero Mountain was essentially a first step—a fresh start.
And with that single step, Hoyeol had shaken the entire continent of Arcana.
But now…
“This is getting complicated.”
Such a development could not go unnoticed by the Supreme Commander.
Park Minjae wished he could remain unaware.
And understandably so—up until that moment, he believed the duel to be nothing more than a bit of fun among Transcendents.
But that was a mistake.
Bang!
The door to the branch manager’s office burst open without even a knock.
“What the—Yoon Soogyeom?”
There were still hours left before his meeting with Nam Cheolmin.
Did something urgent come up?
He didn’t feel comfortable with Sung Hyunjoon meeting Nam Cheolmin alone…
Just as Park Minjae was lost in thought—
“Branch manager. I believe it’s been opened.”
“Opened? What has?”
…No way.
‘My zipper?’
Startled, Park Minjae instinctively looked down, thinking maybe his pants zipper was open.
But Yoon Soogyeom spoke words that revived an old setting from Arcana, back when it was just a game.
“I believe the Weapon Master content has been unlocked.”
“…!”
Weapon Master.
That name jolted Park Minjae’s memory.
A setting that had once been deleted from Arcana Continent Chronicle.
To confirm, he asked Sugyeom.
His brows furrowed involuntarily.
“That was one of the endgame contents, wasn’t it?”
“Yes.”
Alongside the [Archmage], it was one of the unreachable heights for players.
The Weapon Master was an NPC representing the pinnacle of martial prowess.
At that point, someone might ask:
“Isn’t Jesse Heiness already an Archmage-class character?”
‘That’s different. Jesse only aims to become an Archmage.’
Exactly. A true Archmage was like a myth.
There had never been one in-game, by design.
But the Weapon Master was similar—yet different.
Yoon Soogyeom adjusted his glasses, which had slipped while running.
“Unlike the Archmage, the Weapon Master was a real endgame content.”
More precisely, it was an NPC that had actually existed.
But it had been deleted before the great overhaul due to balance issues…
Yoon Soogyeom corrected Park Minjae’s memory.
“To be exact, he was deleted—and now he’s returned.”
“…What?”
“Because Player Lee Hoyeol freed him from the Bad Omen. Just like the deleted Twilight race—the descendants of magic—returned to the Arcana continent, he too has come back. As the final endgame content of Arcana Continent Chronicle.”
“!”
In that case… all their time spent playing hadn’t been for nothing.
Park Minjae immediately asked:
“So what you’re saying is… this current Space Time Duel is being hosted by the Weapon Master, right, Sugyeom? And the one who just entered the arena must be—”
Endgame Content.
Only someone who had reached the true end of Arcana Continent Chronicle could face it.
And who would that be?
Ask any passing player and they’d know.
Park Minjae continued:
“…The player who cleared Zero Mountain.”
That would mean the current duel was between Hoyeol and the Weapon Master?
Now he understood why Yoon Soogyeom had rushed over.
Park Minjae asked:
“Sugyeom, who among the players has reached the Transcendent tier?”
Why ask?
As seen, only players at the Transcendent level could even enter the audience seats of the arena.
Which meant—they could directly communicate with Hoyeol.
‘He needs to stop immediately.’
Why had the Weapon Master been deleted?
Simple.
There had been internal opposition.
Park Minjae had also wondered:
Was it right to lock Arcana Continent Chronicle into a definitive “endgame”?
And the argument from those in favor?
—“It’s not like anyone’s going to beat him anyway, so what’s the worry?”
Exactly.
That was the logic.
The Weapon Master had stats that made it impossible for a player to defeat him.
To put it in player terms:
“Mastered all weapon proficiencies.”
Whether it was a sword or a spear…
Mastering even one weapon would place a character at the top of a class.
That’s why classes were categorized by weapon specialization.
But the Weapon Master?
“The pinnacle of dozens—no, hundreds—of classes.”
Park Minjae’s face darkened.
“In short, a monster that should not exist.”
He was truly a Martial God.
The Weapon Master had been deleted precisely because players could never overcome him.
Damn it. Who would have thought it would come to this?
“Our best bet is to beg Player Nam Taemin. Tell him we must stop the duel no matter what. Even if it’s Supreme Commander Lee Hoyeol…”
He couldn’t guarantee victory.
Because he knew the setting.
Park Minjae couldn’t help but feel shaken.
“I’ve already contacted him, but it may be too late.”
“What?”
“Look—he’s already in the audience seats.”
Damn it. Nam Taemin was already there.
“Phew. Nothing we can do now. At least it’ll be a learning experience, right?”
Space Time Duel.
It wasn’t a real life-or-death battle.
Hoyeol and Shegwin’s duel had been a unique case, due to an exorcism ritual tied to it.
Park Minjae nodded, forcing calm.
“Yeah. The Weapon Master’s personality is different from Shegwin’s.”
The revived Weapon Master wandered the continent, spreading teachings.
Proof that the old game lore of Arcana still held true.
‘Still… in front of the whole world watching…’
It wouldn’t look good if Player Hoyeol recorded his first loss.
There were already many eager to tarnish his perfect record.
‘They won’t let even a single flaw go unnoticed.’
He didn’t want the Supreme Commander to be gossiped about, but there was no other way now.
He could only hope he would walk away without major injuries.
“You feel the same, right, Sugyeom?”
“Yes, I think so.”
“Then… shall we pray together?”
If Sung Hyunjoon were here, he’d probably mutter Homen.
And just then, the main characters stepped into the Space Time Duel arena.
As expected—
Before anyone knew it—
Lee Hoyeol and the Weapon Master.
The two men stood, facing each other.
“…!!”
But the surprise came the moment they started talking.
—“Shegwin, I hear my disciple owed you a debt.”
—“Are you seeking the title of Weapon Master?”
—“If you can take it, then you may.”
“Oh no.”
So Shegwin had been the Weapon Master’s disciple?
Not hard to believe.
To surpass mastery and be called a Sword Saint, enlightenment was essential.
Who else could offer such teachings but the Weapon Master?
The real shock came from Hoyeol’s response.
—“I’m not taking it.”
—“…Hmmm?”
—“I’m retrieving it.”
Cryptic as it was, the tone alone seemed enough to provoke the Weapon Master.
Tight.
Park Minjae unconsciously clenched his fist.
‘And this is right after clearing Zero Mountain…’
Would he be able to endure even one strike?
Fortunately, his fears proved unfounded.
But his expression remained clouded.
Still… something just didn’t make sense.
“…Sugyeom, what exactly am I watching right now?”
Hoyeol’s recent move.
It was no different.
No, Weapon Master.
Wasn’t he even more godlike than that?
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Reached the pinnacle of martial arts.
When did I first begin to feel confident in that?
Was it when I slayed a dragon with a single sword?
‘No.’
Dragons were strong enough to be called the kings of all things, but their strength lay in their mastery of dragon magic. Even if I achieved victory, it wasn’t because I surpassed them with pure martial might.
Was it when I plunged into the Demon World with just a spear and returned alive to the Arcana Continent?
‘That wasn’t it either.’
Though I once thought the Demon World would be more horrific than hell, it too was a place where life thrived. What I learned there wasn’t martial power, but an unyielding will.
Then was it when I defeated the avatar blessed by the God of War?
‘Regrettably, no.’
Unless I had crossed swords with the God of War himself, it was meaningless.
An avatar was just an avatar.
To understand a god, one needed deep, unwavering faith, which I lacked.
I wasn’t foolish enough to think defeating a mere avatar meant I had reached the pinnacle of martial arts.
Then when was it?
Yes—when I faced that.
More precisely, when I heard that mysterious voice.
It echoed suddenly in my mind like a ripple.
It wasn’t a hallucination.
A voice unfamiliar, yet somehow known.
Felt like I had heard it before, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t recall when or where. That voice said:
—“I entrust this to you.”
…A flash.
From the moment I opened my eyes,
that was when I began to truly believe I had reached the pinnacle.
Such was the unwavering pride of the Weapon Master—
until the moment Hoyeol opened his mouth.
“I’m not taking it.”
It was the same.
That voice.
The very one that once rang in my mind out of nowhere—
“I’m retrieving it.”
The very voice that had once granted him the powers of [Weapon Master]—
was now standing right before him.
But the Weapon Master didn’t overlook it.
‘This could still be a deception.’
A silver-haired adventurer.
Given the legends surrounding him in the Arcana Continent,
it wasn’t impossible for him to create illusions that toyed with one’s mind.
So the Weapon Master decided to test it.
No—he decided to use it as an excuse to indulge himself a little.
“If you wish to retrieve it, then do so.”
To express his joy at meeting him.
And so, sword energy surged wildly from his body.
But the Weapon Master’s wish was not fulfilled.
He—
Hoyeol—spoke dispassionately.
No—beyond mere detachment.
“Unfortunately,”
“…”
“I’m just not in the mood for that right now.”
He muttered like someone whose very being had grown dull and indifferent.
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