The 31st Piece Turns the Tables
chapter-121

Fwooooosh…

Cruuush!

“Ahhh! The floor!”

Even though Juyeon wasn’t the one hit by the hammer, she sure screamed like it.

It was because Boseok’s hammer left an unsightly mark on the innocent floor.

Karen used that opening to strike Boseok’s chin.

Bam!

Boseok seemed quite capable of taking hits as well. Boseok endured Karen’s attack and shouted, swinging his hammer once more.

“Krgh… Don’t mock me! Unsheathe your sword!”

“My sword? That’s not a hard request, but I don’t want to accidentally cut you.”

In other words, Karen was taking it easy on Boseok.

Boseok started to become more and more furious.

Karen hadn’t used any skills at all, and despite that, Boseok couldn’t even touch the tips of her hair.

This proved that their skills were worlds apart. In fact, this was Boseok’s first time facing such an opponent after being transferred to Pandea.

Even so, Boseok saw a way to turn the tables.

It was a method that was almost instinctual to him.

“Haaaaargh!”

“That won’t work—”

It was a downward swing.

Karen easily avoided the hammer that had way too much force in it.

However, Boseok wasn’t aiming for her.

Fwoooosh!

He spun his hammer and aimed to strike Seol, who was observing the situation behind her.

“No!”

“Block it!”

Shouts and screams filled the halls.

And then, in an instant, it became completely silent.

Grab!

Seol had partially entered the Night Crow state with his right hand to easily stop Boseok’s hammer.

Fwoosh!

No one could make a sound.

Even though the audience felt the weight of Boseok’s battle hammer each time he swung it, the moment Seol caught it with his hands, it looked incomparably light.

Karen swiftly unsheathed her sword and pressed it against Boseok's defenseless neck.

A drop of blood spilled out as Karen made a shallow cut. If she moved her sword even just a bit closer, it would slice Boseok’s neck.

Karen spoke in a furious tone.

“Can I kill this old man?”

It was a question for Seol.

Seol shook his head in response.

Seol had already anticipated Boseok might resort to something underhanded like this and prepared for it.

Boseok carefully raised his hands in surrender.

“I-I give up on the labyrinth.”

Slap!

That was the sound of Juyeon's hand meeting her forehead.

Simultaneously, someone shouted in shock after using an analysis skill.

“Th-that’s… That’s a Peerless-quality item!”

“...What?”

“Her sword… It’s a Peerless-quality item…”

Everyone’s gaze focused on Karen’s sword.

Karen had obviously unsheathed her Peerless-quality sword, Flare.

“What? Peerless? Did you just say Peerless right now?”

“You could get a Peerless item this early?”

“How? How did he get one?”

The majority of the conversation amongst the transferees revolved around Karen's weapon.

Juyeon, after realizing Karen had a Peerless weapon, bit her lips with a terrible look on her face. Changsik, seeing that, shouted triumphantly.

“With this, it’s settled, right? We’ll be the ones using the last token.”

"...Yeah, I accept the results. It seems like the person you brought was better suited to take on the final door, Changsik."

“It was a good match.”

“Likewise.”

As Karen stepped away from Boseok while sheathing her sword, Boseok put his hands back down.

“Fuu… Haaah…”

Since having a sword to your neck was a rare experience, even he was dripping in cold sweat.

Juyeon then asked Seol.

"However… there is one thing that I am curious about."

“What is it?”

"Is she the one who will enter the final door?"

“...What?”

"Those are the facts, right? Not only was she the one who defeated Boseok, but there's only one person allowed in each door, right?"

Karen guffawed after hearing that.

“Hahaha! Yeah, you could think that for sure. She’s… pffft… not wrong… pffft…”

“Wh-why are you laughing?”

“Ah, I apologize. But there’s no need to worry.”

“Still…”

Karen gave her a meaningful look and then spoke once more.

“We can just do this.”

Fwirl!

Karen transformed into a black whirlwind and was sucked into Seol’s right hand.

There was a heavy silence.

After all, Karen looked exactly like an elf while she used her Haze skill.

Even so, the image of her being sucked into Seol’s hand…

Juyeon didn’t know where to look.

She began stuttering her words.

“Uh… So, this is… uh… um…”

Seol answered their questions with one simple response.

“She is my summon.”

“...What? What did you just say?”

"That is why I should be the one to enter the last door of the Labyrinth of Penance."

“N-No way…”

The audience erupted with shouts.

“No way! She was just a summon…?”

“H-Hold on a second… Does this mean he gave a Peerless-quality item to his summon?”

“Is he out of his mind?”

- Saying he’s out of his mind might be a bit too far LOL

- You should just say he’s special ^^

- Stop making such a fuss when he has four of them 🤷

- Ah, I wonder if anyone will check out my cape (flexing my back)

- Hah… Commoners ^^

There was no way anyone would have any complaints about Seol being the person to take on the final door now.

Seol stood up with the members Changsik had arranged ahead of time.

They stood in a circle and looked at each other’s faces.

“Well then… I’ll brand us with the mark.”

Glooooow…

The five of them, who were already in a party, were enveloped in light.

[Your name has been engraved on the Qualification Token (Penance).]

[Adventure 'Labyrinth of Penance’ is scheduled.]

[This Adventure is very dangerous.]

[Because this Adventure is a 'Linked Adventure' you cannot choose your next Adventure.]

* * *

Translator - goguma

Proofreader - Karane

* * *

Things were handled smoothly after that, and now, their Rest was over too.

The only thing left for them was to enter the labyrinth.

After Seol's battle to determine who took on the final door, many people lingered around the door to his room.

Even though Changsik stepped forth to push them away, it didn’t make it any less annoying.

With each additional incident, Seol became increasingly cautious about revealing his true identity in the future.

He only did so this time as there was no other way to enter the labyrinth. If he had other options, he would have used them.

Regardless, thanks to Changsik’s consideration, Seol was able to prepare for the labyrinth way before.

‘Clearing the labyrinth is like a marathon.’

It wasn’t a place someone could quickly rush through.

Well, it could end quickly if someone died instantly, but Seol wasn’t the kind of person who would let that happen to them.

‘It could take at least a month… no, even more than three months.’’

Judging by the fact that the other Adventures lasted at most a month, the extended time it took to clear a labyrinth gave a new meaning to long-term.

‘We could prepare all we want, but there’s also a high possibility it’s all pointless.’

This was especially the case for the Labyrinth of Penance because, like its name suggested, it was a place filled with pain.

Though it was true Seol had experienced the labyrinth twice through his pieces, experiencing it himself would undoubtedly be different.

If someone asked Seol if he was scared, Seol would answer like this,

‘I’m scared.’

Still, Seol couldn’t back down just because he was scared.

He would be betraying the pieces he had placed directly into dangerous situations as if it were nothing.

He would become a despicable person who enjoys pushing inferior lifeforms into danger while he remains safely distant.

‘And if I can clear the Labyrinth of Penance, I will gain a lot of things.’

Since there were many things to gain, Seol had to go.

If Seol backed away just because he was scared, he would be acting in contradiction to the pieces he had pushed into danger.

‘And there are things that I could gain from reaching the end of the labyrinth too.’

It was widely known amongst everyone who cleared the labyrinths that their rewards were much more valuable than those from normal Adventures.

Did Seol desire treasures like that? Or did he want something greater?

It would only become known once Seol reached the end of the labyrinth.

Knock, knock.

“It’s almost time, Snowman.”

Changsik had come to meet Snowman.

The party members set to enter the labyrinth together and shared their true names with each other.

Although Seol had only shared his nickname, no one had any complaints about that.

“I’m coming.”

Seol might have prepared thoroughly, but he was still unsure if he could use them.

Seol then followed Changsik to the labyrinth.

It was a bit away from Audenin and hidden by dense grass. The entrance to it also looked strangely similar to Yzmokan’s ruins.

‘The Statue of the Flagellant… so even that’s here.’

A statue with a pained expression, burdened by a large stone on its head, stood near the entrance of the labyrinth.

Even though the five of them had varying amounts of time left on their rest, Changsik intentionally assembled the party with individuals who shared the most similar remaining time to ensure smooth coordination.

Another lesson learned from their two previous attempts was that the transfer occurred when the last person's remaining time ran out.

Seol, having the most time left, was about to initiate their transfer soon.

One of the members of the party, a woman, spoke up.

“Changsik, we can’t fail this time. You know that, right?”

“How is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“Regardless, you know what I meant. Juyeon unni might throw a fit again, so please succeed and return triumphantly. Ah! You didn’t forget that the treasures you bring back are shared with the alliance… right?”

“Yeah, and you didn’t forget that the people who went on the Adventure get half of it, right?”

“Of course not. We even signed the contract with our thumbprint, remember? Anyway… I hope all of you come back alive. Juyeon unni might not say anything, but she worries about you a lot, Changsik oppa.”

“Did you hear it from her directly?”

“No? It’s just a guess.”

“You little… got it. And I’m not the one who decides whether we come back or not. It’s him, that person over there. All the rest of us need to do is endure.”

Seol spoke up amidst the murmuring crowd.

“It’s time.”

Changsik and the party members nodded.

A final person tried to support them once more before they left.

“Everyone… come back ali—”

Gloooow

[You begin your next Adventure.]

[Your 17th Adventure is starting.]

[Adventure 17. Labyrinth of Penance]

[Adventure 17. ‘Labyrinth of Penance’

The Labyrinth of Penance, one of the terrifying labyrinths that manifests across the continent, has been discovered near Audenin.

The tokens for the labyrinth were also discovered around the same time from Galia, the Gnawing, Homuru, the Wilted, and Juri, the Spiny.

Two of those tokens were used to achieve nothing due to the lack of qualification from the individuals attempting it.

Now, only one token remains.

Your name has been branded onto that token.

You must prove yourself.

You must prove that you are capable of marching onward, despite whatever pain comes your way.

The Labyrinth of Penance shall be watching you.

Objective: Clear the Labyrinth of Penance

Caution. This Adventure is very dangerous.

Remaining Time [N/A]]

It felt as though they had ventured deep into a cave.

Like Changsik explained before, Seol could only see the ends of his feet. Everything else around him was pitch black.

“So it’s still the same…”

“Changsik hyung, is this the right place?”

“Yeah, Jaeho, it is.”

Changsik brought a close younger friend of his, Seong Jaeho, here as well. It only proved how much Changsik would give to clear this Adventure.

“Over there…”

Someone spoke up.

Though it was likely that they were pointing at something with their fingers, the gesture couldn’t be seen here.

There were doors.

Five doors.

The Door of Emptiness, the Door of Pain, the Door of Doubts, the Door of Patience…

And the Door of Penance.

Seol had a rough idea about the trials behind each door.

He also knew that none of them were easy.

“H-Hyung… You said you’re going into the Door of Emptiness, right?”

“Yeah, because that’s the one I went into last time.”

“And I’m supposed to go into the Door of Doubts.”

“And me into the Door of Pain.”

“And I’m going into the Door of Patience.”

All of them looked at Seol.

Even though Seol couldn’t see them, he felt their gazes.

“I will go into the Door of Penance.”

“Then…”

Each person stood in front of their door.

“I’ll go in first.”

Creaaak…

The Door of Doubts opened, and Jaeho disappeared.

Creaaak…

The Door of Pain opened, and their party member, Kim Taegyu, disappeared.

Creaaak…

The Door of Patience opened, and their other party member, Jang Heungsu, disappeared.

“Well then… I hope to see you again.”

Creaaak…

The Door of Emptiness opened, and Changsik disappeared.

As all the doors met their guests, a change occurred.

Clang.

Clang, clang.

The chains on the Door of Penance began to snap off.

Clang!

Clatter…

[Four doors have received their flagellants.]

[The final door, the Door of Penance, has been unlocked.]

Seol opened the Door of Penance.

Creaaaaaak…

Click.

As Seol disappeared through the door, and the Door of Penance closed behind him.

[The Door of Penance has received the final flagellant.]