The entire world was stunned.

Some people had already started imagining what the Transcendental Being looked like even though they had not seen even a shadow of him. The Transcendental Being probably sported a lovely figure and handsome face in their imagination. However, what they saw right now was far beyond what they had imagined.

He was an older man, but he still looked 185 centimeters tall. That was not all. His skin was so fair, and even his face was small enough that it complemented his long silver hair and broad shoulders perfectly. Sighs flowed out of everyone’s mouths when they saw the Transcendental Being, wearing a white robe and holding a sword in his hand, take a step toward Duke Ruffiso.

Even ATV Broadcasting Station got a piece of the pie, their ratings increasing significantly at his appearance.

“Our ratings have reached 40%!”

“It has already reached 41%!”

“The viewer’s message board is going crazy!”

“They’re just making a fuss.”

Even PD Kim Daeguk agreed that the figure of the Transcendental Being was indeed too cool and handsome. However, there was something that was far more important than that. Was his strength proportional to his appearance?

Everyone watched with bated breath, waiting for the confrontation between Duke Ruffiso and the Transcendental Being.

***

Duke Ruffiso stared at the Transcendental Being, who had turned to look at him after gently laying down the fragments that he was just about to hang like a flag with his rope. He gripped his sword tightly.

The injury inflicted by Brood was quite deep. However, Duke Ruffiso felt somewhat disappointed.

Duke Ruffiso could not tell. He could not feel just by looking at the Transcendental Being before him. Duke Ruffiso had only felt fear once in his life.

“Finally, the boss monster…” Duke Ruffiso said, wondering if the dungeon attack would end once he hunted the Transcendental Being.

“...”

The Transcendental Being, who took one step forward, was suddenly engulfed in a bright and blinding light when he tried to take another step forward. But before he disappeared in the flash of light, his fierce and sharp gaze turned to look at Duke Ruffiso.

Duke Ruffiso lost his steam when the Transcendental Being suddenly disappeared.

Duke Ruffiso mocked his enemy while he listened to the notifications that rang in his ears.

***

The wide path leading to the Transcendental Being was covered with an old red carpet lined with candles on the sides. The candles, which never go out, were placed every two meters of the path. The walls of the path also lined up several towering statues.

The Luvien Imperial Army appeared in a bright flash of light. Initially, they had marched with one million troops but were left with only around 400,000 soldiers. Fortunately, most of the Swords of the Gods were still alive. And although Duke Ruffiso suffered a grave injury, he was still very much alive.

As they continued advancing, the entire Luvien Imperial Army was left nervous and tense.

At first, they appeared very arrogant and confident. However, their confidence and arrogance were utterly torn apart after entering the Labyrinth of Death. To shake off their fear and nervousness, the knights immediately tried to talk about something else. The Luvien Empire’s Third Knight Order’s Commander Edgar stood among these knights.

“I wonder what Ethan, that moronic bastard, is doing now?”

“He’s nothing but an armored weapon pilot bastard. He probably hasn’t left Athenae and is still wandering around somewhere.”

The concept of players was familiar to the NPCs. They were fully aware that some players would suddenly disappear and not return. Hence, they coined the expression to describe this phenomenon. And most NPCs would consider those that have “Left Athenae” to be losers.

“In the first place, that bastard did not have the qualifications to join the knight order of the Great Luvien Empire.”

There was nothing better in dispelling fear and nervousness than gossiping about others.

Then, Edgar said, “I heard something interesting.”

“What is it?”“I once spoke with Marquis Ebdaem. He’s the one that recruited Ethan.”

Marquis Ebdaem was in charge of managing the Luvien Empire’s personnel and human resources. He possessed keen eyes and could quickly determine the condition of the empire’s knights and soldiers. He could also see through one’s potential with just one glance. Words were circulating that the Luvien Empire was only filled with talents because of him.

“He said that Ethan is an outstanding armored weapon pilot that even the past or the present Luvien Empire will not be able to produce.”

However, such an outstanding armored weapon pilot was beaten by their hands and thrown by the collar, discarded, and kicked out of their army. However, the most surprising fact was that the knights weren’t surprised by those words.

“Well, we already knew it.”

But in the end, he was still nothing but a foreigner, a foreigner who piloted and maneuvered armored weapons. He could only grow stronger by borrowing the power of an armored weapon. He was someone who did not use his ability to grow stronger.

Most of the knights in the same order as Ethan had heard about him. He was the man that the Luvien Empire needed. And that was true. The Luvien Empire had tried to promote the production of armored weapons. However, the knights protested and forced the production to stop.

Hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of knights protested, saying that Ethan’s behavior was poor and did not deserve such treatment. They even said using that amount of funds to train better knights would be much better. It was a laughable unity created by their jealousy toward , not because they were genuinely united. They did not like him, so they belittled and bullied him.

“Anyway, that fool is just muddying the waters, right? It would be better for us if we didn’t have a bastard like that. Am I right?”

“That’s right.”

“Yeah, yeah. Of course.”

“I can’t forget how that bastard twitched and wriggled on the ground. Fufufufufufu.”

“Hahaha! Yeah. I also feel thrilled whenever I remember that.”

“I don’t like that bastard and his disgusting manner of speaking. You know when…” Edgar excitedly slandered Ethan.

But then, at that moment, someone suddenly grabbed Edgar’s shoulder. Edgar turned his head to check if a superior was sending a signal to them to stop their small talk. However, the one that he saw was a completely unexpected person.

The man was wearing the armor of the knights of the Luvien Imperial Army. However, he had already thrown his helmet and sent it to the ground. This man was none other than the protagonist of their gossip,

“E- Ethan. Why are you here…?!”

“You bastard! What the hell’s wrong with you?!”

“How did you get in here?!”

“...”

The knights who knew him were looking at him in doubt. A million troops were advancing together, and all of them were wearing helmets. That was why they did not know that Ethan was among them. Did he hide himself among them during the battle?

“No way! Did you think that Marquis Ebdaem would recruit you again and bring you back to the knight order if you contributed to this battle?!” Edgar mocked Ethan, his words guessing what the man in front of him was probably thinking.

However, Ethan, who looked at him coldly, said, “Didn’t you say that the Luvien Empire will not make an armored weapon for me because I was lacking?”

Ethan tightened his hold on Edgar’s shoulder. However, Ethan was nothing but a mere armored weapon pilot, and his force was just something that a knight commander like Edgar could quickly scoff at.

“Did you do it because you just did not like me? You ostracized and slandered me for no reason?”

“Why? Are you the commander, huh?”

“You’re nuts.”

Ethan’s eyes turned bloodshot. “You all know it best. When you guys were slacking off, I stayed by that old armored weapon and repaired it myself. When you guys drank, I stayed and trained alone with that old armored weapon.”

Did he behave poorly? Not at all. Ethan had treated them politely. Why? Because he aspired to be like them. Even if they mocked and cursed at him, Ethan tried to get closer to them; he wanted to befriend them.

Since many knights and soldiers were here, Edgar had no choice but to whisper his rebuttal. “In the first place, an armored weapon pilot cannot be an outstanding warrior of the Great Luvien Empire. How dare you show up to fight in this battle?” His words were evil as he continued to whisper in Ethan’s ears, “You? I will kill you. Yeah? Fufufufu. What the hell? I don’t care if you are a genius armored weapon pilot. What’s the point if you do not have an armored weapon? Ahahahahahaha!”

Ethan did not expect much from them, especially after hearing that creepy laughter.

To be honest, he did not wish for much either. He just wanted everyone to acknowledge his hard work and the dream that he was pursuing. Ethan hoped that one day he could save the Luvien Empire, which recruited him with the armored weapon they should have produced for him, and fight in the vanguard for their sake.

“I have an armored weapon.”

“What? That hundred-year-old armored weapon of yours?!”

“Ahahahahaha!”

“That junk?!”

The knights laughed at Ethan. The knight standing next to him even pointed at him and hollered at the other knights that Ethan was there, prompting loud laughter, countless jeers, and mockery from the rest of the troops. However, Ethan did not mind them. He just walked forward step by step.

When he heard the commotion, Duke Ruffiso turned his head and tried to keep them quiet. But then, he saw Ethan walk out of the laughing and mocking crowd. He watched as Ethan removed his armor that carried the symbol of the Great Luvien Empire one after another.

Ethan took off the general boots that the Luvien Empire had supplied everyone, the same boots he had worn excitedly when he first received them.

He threw away the , which was only given to the knights of the Luvien Empire.

The troops giggled and laughed when they saw Ethan walking barefoot and without any armor on his body. On the other hand, Duke Ruffiso and some of the Sword of the Gods frowned when they looked at him.

But Ethan ignored them all as he slowly began wearing the new items bestowed and gifted upon him. Now, he was no longer wearing the old armor and gear that the Luvien Empire supplied to everyone in their troops. Now, he was wearing a new sword, shining armor, and a new pair of boots that had never been worn by someone else before. Then, he wore the ring gave him to thank Ethan for coming to his side.

Finally, Ethan stopped walking. Then, he turned around and said, “I have an armored weapon.”

The statutes that lined both sides of the path cracked and turned into rubbles.

A black light flashed, and several towering seven-meter-tall armored weapons appeared in front of everyone. The armored weapons stood majestically in front of the Luvien Imperial Army. Then, a huge missile shot out of one of the armored weapons’ chests and landed gobsmack in the middle of the troops.

“...!”

“...!”

One missile wiped out 2,000 of the Luvien Imperial Army troops and left no trace of them at all. However, that single missile was not the end. Several missiles shot out and bombarded the imperial army and continued to sweep away their troops.

“Huh- huh– what…?” Edgar stuttered, unable to form words.

At the same time, the armored weapons finally stopped shooting missiles and pulled out the enormous greatswords attached to their legs.

Then, they raised the greatsword and pointed it toward the Luvien Empire’s troops. At the same time, something huge fell from the sky.

Unlike this armored weapon, the armored weapon that fell from the sky was covered with a white light.

The armored weapon that appeared looked much bigger and stronger than the other armored weapons.

Then, the enormous armored weapon’s cockpit opened.

The white armored weapon stretched its hand out and gently lifted Ethan, allowing him to land safely in its cockpit.

The Transcendental Being’s Weapon held a greatsword that was two times larger and sharper than the greatswords in the other armored weapons’ hands. And Ethan, who was sitting inside its cockpit, said, “An armored weapon that is stronger than any other armored weapon in existence.”

And the moment he swung the greatsword? A gigantic sword light shot out and ripped apart thousands of the knights who had laughed and mocked Ethan just a few moments prior.

Duke Ruffiso, who found the situation extremely unusual, hurriedly swung his sword and shot a powerful sword light toward the white armored weapon. But then, a hand shield, which was mounted on the armored weapon’s left arm, popped into existence and prevented the sword light from damaging its body.

“An armored weapon stronger than any other armored weapon in existence.”

Ethan had a dream. He dreamt of protecting people and accomplishing great things. He dreamt of standing at the vanguard, saving his allies, and killing all the enemies before him. However, Ethan’s dreams had now changed.

“Our goal is to slaughter and annihilate the Luvien Imperial Army.”

Sporting the same arrogant and noble look that Minhyuk wore before, Ethan said, “And I will stand at the forefront of this battle.”