The 31st Piece Turns the Tables
chapter-11

The Rock Molar Tribe’s leader, Jamad, the Mountain Shaman.

He, after becoming the chieftain, was faced with an extremely troublesome situation.

He had taken the Rock Fists from the treasure house and killed all of the guards there.

Because all of the other treasures were worthless compared to the Rock Fists, he didn’t care who took the other treasures.

‘It’s a crisis.’

He could practically hear a massive bell ringing in his head, alerting him that he was in danger.

The tribe members who shared blood just a few hours ago were trying to kill each other.

Because it was unlikely that a shamanic spell was cast on all of them, Jamad assumed that the cause of this was the blood that they drank.

But honestly, the cause wasn’t important right now.

It wasn’t like he could find the cause in that short amount of time anyway. There was something much more pressing.

‘Instead of worrying about who did it, I need to worry about how to stop it.’

There was still a way out.

If the leaders worked together, they could prevent the tribe from destruction.

‘But because our enemy aimed for the treasure house and Magata, they knew that too.’

Regardless of who the opponent was, the brothers could definitely stop them from destroying the tribe if they stuck together.

But there was no way they would stick together when they were suspicious of each other.

‘My brothers probably weren’t the ones that did this.’

Jamad’s brothers were greedy.

There was no way any of his brothers would’ve used such a violent method against the tribe.

Yeah, this method is…

‘Exactly how I would do it.’

It was violent and straightforward.

The tribe was torn apart to the point that friend or foe was indistinguishable, no one knew who their allies and enemies were.

The only thing someone could trust in a situation like this was their own strength. Only those who were strong would remain unshaken in this situation.

‘And that’s why my brothers suspect me.’

And that’s why Jamad took the Rock Fists.

The only thing that could be trusted in this situation was overwhelming power.

No matter what crisis came to him, he could hold on as long as he had the Rock Fists.

Because his brothers already suspected him, it didn’t matter if he actually stole the Rock Fists or not.

Jamad had hidden the Rock Fists beneath his massive chair in the conference room.

And he waited there, praying that the situation didn’t have to go to the extreme.

A few moments later, he felt a presence.

A few trolls, smaller than Jamad, entered the Rock Molar Tribe’s conference hall.

“So you arrived, brothers.”

It was Trogo, Myam, and Kron.

All of the remaining brothers came to the conference hall.

“Jamad, choose your words carefully. Right now, we are suspecting it’s you.”

“Oh my brothers, could you listen to what I have to say?”

“......”

“We might have been forced to become brothers because of the shamans of the previous generation but I have never once regretted it.”

“The previous generation, huh… you mean the same generation that you massacred on your own because they annoyed you?”

The previous generation of shamans were all kind and Jamad had extorted them out of all of their shamanic spells. And during that time, Jamad’s brothers neither helped nor prevented it. They had simply remained silent.

Jamad kept his head down and continued.

He then looked toward the trolls who were challenging his authority.

“Kron, I understand why you want to fight me. It’s because I’m the closest target to you. And I’m sure you love the current situation. So, do you really want my position this badly when our tribe’s become like this in just a few hours?”

“You understand me? Ha! Then I guess you’ll understand your fate as well, right?”

The more the brothers talked with each other, the more red Jamad’s eyes got.

They were only able to control themselves somewhat through willpower. Mael’s Potion of Madness definitely had an effect as they were more violent than usual.

“My brothers, there was something I vowed after I killed the previous generation. I wanted to destroy Rock Molar’s forced traditions to start a new generation. Wasn’t that why I let all of my brothers live?”

“What? Let us live? How arrogant! Do you really think you’re able to kill us whenever you want to? Are you looking down on the shamanic magics our previous generation taught us? Enough! You have always looked down on us!”

Clang!

Clang!

Spears, axes, and even magic staves.

Jamad’s brothers weren’t there to have a discussion.

They planned to use the chieftain’s incompetence as an excuse to completely flip over Rock Molar’s power dynamics.

“Then… it’s time for you to pay for your arrogance!”

The brothers stiffened up their tattooed faces and let out their battle cries.

“Why haven’t you said anything about Magata’s death?”

“The same goes for you guys.”

“What?”

“As long as you’ve drawn your weapons, we are enemies. So I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you why I haven’t said anything about Magata’s death…”

Jamad’s eyes were ice cold as he looked at Kron.

“Because we… aren’t real brothers. Because we doubt each other first whenever there’s a dispute.”

“...Yeah, you might be right.”

“Aren’t we proving it right now? Your blades arrived faster at my neck than even the unknown enemy.”

“Then let’s end this disgusting brother act. We can just let whoever survives this lead and repair the tribe.”

“I agree.”

Kron and the other brothers’ eyes glowed red.

It was almost like they couldn’t control their boiling blood.

It was the complete opposite of Jamad’s whose eyes were calmly examining them.

The fiery atmosphere didn’t look like it would be cooled down.

Jamad, even now, was thinking of his dying tribe.

Stand.

Jamad got up from his seat.

He was bigger than his brothers. And that difference in size had a significant impact.

CRUUUUUUUSH!

Jamad destroyed his chair made of bones and pulled out something from within it.

Fwooosh!

They were the Rock Fists and they shone bright.

“The Rock Fists!”

“I knew you were behind this! We were right!”

Jamad, who had hidden the Rock Fists before his brothers entered, equipped them in his hands.

Click. Click.

“I knew Jamad stole it!”

“Don’t think about dying an easy death, traitor!”

Jamad calmly waved his hand away like they weren’t even worth reacting to.

“Yeah, sure. I was behind all of this.”

They were deep in conflict and their trust in each other was gone.

Rumble!

Kron and the rest of the brothers got up and waved their hands around. In an instant, many stones filled up the conference room.

“We have to kill him! Jamad was aiming for our lives!”

“Jamad killed Magata too!”

“He’s using the Rock Fists to take over the tribe!”

The three foolish brothers combined their strengths to cast their shamanic spells.

Booooom!

Sharp rocks and mud gathered in one spot while destroying the conference room.

Jamad quietly murmured to himself.

* * *

Translator - goguma

Proofreader - Karane

* * *

“Tancreed, Mother of the Earth, if blood must be shed in Rock Molar, I will gladly spill it. However, that blood will be blood from the useless.”

Jamad equipped the Rock Fists on both arms and gathered energy.

Fwoooooosh!

“Jamad is the mountain, and mountains don’t falter,” proclaimed Jamad.

“Don’t get so full of yourself, Jamad!”

“It’s finally time to decide who the sole chief will be!”

“You were mistaken thinking you were above us!”

Jamad, the Mountain Shaman, equipped the divine weapons of the earth and gave a cold, cynical smile.

Rumble Rumble Rumble!

Booooom!

Rock, gravel, and mud combined as it flooded toward Jamad.

But Jamad, after acquiring the Rock Fists, overwhelmed them instead.

Rumble Rumble Rumble!

“Kuaaargh!”

“Myam, no!!”

“What…? How does he have so much power…?”

Myam was mutilated by fragments of stone.

In contrast to his haughty arrogance, Myam died in vain to a single attack from Jamad.

[Myam, the Mud Shaman, has a grudge against Jamad.]

[Jamad is inflicted with a lung disease.]

[Jamad’s cast time will be increased by 200% and the chance of failing a spell cast will be fixed at 70% for a week. The recoil from casting shamanic magic will become much stronger.]

[You have gained experience.]

[You have defeated Myam, the Mud Shaman.]

[Your rewards have improved.]

[The ‘Rock Molar Offering’ has improved to a ‘Rock Molar Tribute’.]

The monster that’s been biding his time finally revealed himself to the world with the Rock Fists.

“Myam is d-dead!”

“Damn it!”

Jamad’s Rock Fists started to shine again.

Fwooosh!

Jamad’s body became covered in rocks.

Every time Jamad casted a spell, the Rock Fists let out an eerie shine.

“With the blood that you have shed, Rock Molar will become one! It will become much stronger than it is now!”

“I can’t believe you’re forcibly using the power of the earth! You will face divine punishmen—”

“He won’t be able to hold out for long! That relic’s way too powerful for a single shaman to control!”

BOOOM!

Jamad charged at Trogo, his rock armor deflecting the gravel spells that Trogo cast. Trogo, in the end, was caught by Jamad.

Crush! Crack!

Jamad pulled Trogo in and crushed him.

“Urg-Guargh…”

“Trogooooo!”

[Trogo, the Gravel Shaman, has a grudge against Jamad.]

[Jamad is inflicted with dizziness.]

[Jamad’s sense of distance is distorted, reducing his defense, resistance, constitution, and hit rate by 70% for a week.]

[You have gained experience.]

[You have defeated Trogo, the Gravel Shaman.]

[Your rewards have improved.]

[The ‘Rock Molar Tribute’ has improved to a ‘Rock Molar Gift’.]

“Jamad! How dare you…”

“I’m sorry for not killing you guys sooner. Maybe I felt a little bit of compassion for you who were forced to become my brothers.”

“Don’t look down on meeeeeeee!”

Kron’s eyes glowed red as he covered himself in rocks like Jamad had.

BOOOOOM!

“Krgh… Kgghhh…”

“Gasp… Gasp…”

After a long fight, Jamad was finally able to defeat his final brother.

Splatter!

And his arm, which has pierced through Kron’s chest, was evidence of it.

“Jamad… cough… You will pay the price for betraying your brothers…”

“Kron, you were never fit to be king. You are too dull and get shaken up easily.”

“I vow… no matter what…”

“Goodbye.”

[Kron, the Rock Shaman, has a grudge against Jamad.]

[Jamad is inflicted with a heart disease.]

[Jamad’s health will continuously decrease and will not be able to regenerate for a week.]

[You have gained experience.]

[You have defeated Kron, the Rock Shaman.]

[Your rewards have improved.]

[The ‘Rock Molar Gift’ has improved to a ‘Rock Molar Treasure’.]

Thud.

Jamad took a knee.

“Haah… Haah… Cough… You annoying bastards…”

Crackle—

Screeeeech!

The Rock Fists let out a screech.

Because Jamad had forcibly brought out its powers, his body was also a wreck after the fight.

Like his brothers said, the Rock Fists were way too powerful for an ordinary shaman to wield.

‘But… It's fine. I’m the only leader left in the tribe now. I just have to build it up again. If I want to overcome this situation, the most important thing is to first bring the tribe together as one and…’

Step.

Step.

Jamad felt a presence.

He instinctively knew that the person who stood outside those doors was the same person who aimed to take his life.

Creak.

“...Who are you?!”

Jamad squeezed out his strength to throw out splinters of rocks. But a moonlit sword deflected the splinters.

Claaaaang!

The person that deflected the splinters was Seol’s summon, Karuna.

Seol, who stood in front of Karuna, slowly walked toward Jamad before introducing himself.

“Brothers shouldn’t fight amongst themselves. You should be good to each other.”

- Satan: Professor, we haven’t gotten to that lesson yet.

- Don’t fight each other! Kiss!

- Is this what a human is like…? Urgh… disgusting!

- I don’t know if he’s the strongest among the humans but he’s definitely the most evil… I never knew I liked stuff like this!

- That’s seriously insane… I was wondering what he was doing but he was planning all of this out? I can’t believe the 5 brothers became an only child! How did a family with multiple children get ruined like this?!

- How did all of them turn out like this when he only killed one of them? I still can’t believe it after seeing it…

Slide…

Seol stood in front of Jamad at the darkest time, the moments before dawn.

The conference hall’s walls were broken down by the fight between the four brothers. And through those gaps, moonlight poured in.

Glow!

[Karuna is influenced by the moonlight.]

[Soaring Moonlight recharges faster than normal.]

“...So it’s you. You were the one behind all of this. I knew none of my idiot brothers would’ve been able to do this.”

Because it was obvious that they wouldn’t be having a pleasant conversation, Seol didn’t continue the conversation.

It was neither the place nor situation to have a conversation. And it seemed his opponent had the same thought.

Jamad, despite having multiple curses layered on him and having his body being weakened from casting too many spells, forced himself up.

Seol watched with a nervous face. He then smiled and nodded to Karuna.

Karuna walked forth, his sheath glowing with moonlight.

Jamad, who was facing Karuna now, had glowing red eyes. Seol could practically feel the rage oozing out of them.

“Oh demon, do you desire the mountain?” asked Jamad.

Crunch!

Jamad let out a battle cry and tensed up his body, charging straight at Karuna.

“Come, try and take it if you can!”

But just then, as Jamad was almost about to reach Karuna, Karuna’s energy changed.

Crackle! Crackle! Crackle!

[Karuna has entered the 2nd Stage of Soaring Moonlight, Half Moon.]