The 31st Piece Turns the Tables
-
chapter-129
[Interconnected portals appear throughout the battlefield.]
Bzzzzt
As the seasons changed, large dimensional door-shaped artifacts emerged throughout the battlefield.
Bzzzt
BzztThe first to move after the change of seasons was Seol.
Dash!
Why does he continue to run at me when the results are so obvious?
Finn’s doll tilted its head in confusion and raised its hand.
Baaaam!
It activated Refusal, pushing Seol far away.
And in Seol’s path… was a dimensional door.“No!”
Just as Changsik shouted toward Seol, Seol’s body fell through the portal and disappeared.
Fwoooosh!
Only to reappear at the dimensional door behind Finn.
“Hrgh!”
Seol swung his fist as fiercely as he could.
Baaaaaaam!
“...Damn it.”
[Record of Pain: Finn Modria used Blood Barrier.]
[75% of physical damage is negated.]
For an impromptu attack, it was fairly effective. However, Blood Barrier was just too strong of a defense to overcome.
‘It’s difficult to deal effective damage on my own…’
Not to mention, any significant damage would be mostly healed immediately by Proud Flesh. It really did feel like facing a turtle hiding in its shell.
Woosh!
Blood Spear scratched Seol’s nose as he narrowly avoided the attack.
Fwoosh!
After avoiding the spear by ducking, Seol prepared his next attack.
Dash!
He lowered his stance and prepared a tackle.
However, once again, he was deflected by Refusal.
Baaaaaam!
Changsik used that opening to aim for Finn.
Fwoosh! Fwooosh!
The only skill Changsik had to overcome was Blood Spear.
However, even that was too much for ordinary Adventurers, Changsik included.
“Krgh…”
Changsik had no way of closing the gap between him and Finn.
Dash!
Bzzzz…
Baaaam!
“Urgh…”
The progression of the battle frustrated Seol. Part of why was how Changsik couldn’t keep up with his movements.
The most Changsik could do was momentarily draw attention to himself. He had no ways of dealing meaningful damage, in fact, he couldn’t even draw out Finn’s Refusal.
Well, rather than this being Changsik’s problem…
‘That’s just Finn’s way of fighting.’
That was the fighting method Seol came up with when controlling Finn.
Deal with the weaker targets first, while restraining the stronger opponent with Refusal.
Seol, after concluding he wouldn’t be able to land a blow on Finn even during the Season of Magicians, changed his objective.
Bzzzz
Huuum…
Blink!
While circling around Finn and maintaining its focus on him, Seol began checking which portal connected to which.
‘The portals will connect the same way the next time this season comes around.’
The seasons did not occur just once. They came and went.
During the Season of Magicians, the portals are initially connected randomly but become uniform with how it was when they first appeared.
‘Alright, I’ve figured them all out now.’
Rumble…
The season began changing.
[Penance: Season of Priests arrives.]
[A hymn of glory cries out for you.]
Ahhhhhhhhh!
Changsik looked around the battlefield after hearing a grandiose sound.
“Focus up!” yelled Seol.
Changsik quickly turned around and solidified his gaze on Finn.
‘This is an opportunity.’
This was the first opening Seol was waiting for.
The first hymn.
Each time the Season of Priests came around, hymns and requiems would resound. Luckily, the first to occur was a hymn, providing Seol an opportunity to attack.
[Flagellants are affected by the Hymn of Glory.]
[Flagellants have all of their stats increased by 35%.]
“Haaaaaargh!”
Changsik, recognizing this change, used the skill he was saving.
[CarryMachine used Chain 9th Technique.]
[Each successful attack increases your attack speed by 20%.]
Fwoosh!
Fwoooosh!
Changsik's swift attacks caught Finn off guard.
With his stats suddenly boosted and an unexpected new skill, Changsik proved to be a more formidable threat than Finn had initially assumed.
Fwoooosh!
In an attempt to counter Changsik's assault, Finn used Blood Spear.
Dodge!
However, unlike before, Changsik skillfully evaded Finn's attacks with subtle movements, allowing him to concentrate fully on the offensive.
Fwoosh!
Fwoosh!
Changsik’s attacks were now powerful enough that Finn couldn’t easily block them. It was clear even Finn wouldn’t make it out safely after Changsik’s Chain 9th Technique.
There was only one way for Finn to repel him.
Baaam!
Finn was forced to use Refusal on Changsik.
“Urgh…”
And as Changsik was forced back, Seol came running.
“Hrgh!”
Seol pulled his arm back before unleashing a mighty swing.
[Record of Pain: Finn Modria used Blood Barrier.]
[75% of physical damage is negated.]
BAAAAAAAAAAM!
‘Damn it!’
As expected from the turtle.
Finn was incredibly tough. However, Seol wasn‘t someone who would give up there.
Baaaam!
Baaaam!
Seol wildly swung at the barrier.
Fwooosh!
Fwoosh!
Blood Spears flew in from all sides and aimed for Seol.
But despite that, Seol focused on his assault.
As he was, a thought came into Seol’s head.
‘Should I… use Iron Fist Rule here?’
Seol had only one chance to use it. Missing would mean certain death.
Seol hesitated. The weight of that single opportunity clutched his chest.
If I fail… there is no next time.
‘Not… yet.’
The hymn was about to end.
If Seol had used his skill here, he would have been completely exhausted when the requiem started. Since it was evident that doing so would lead to his death, he chose not to use his skill there.
Ahhhhhhh
A new song filled the battlefield.
[A requiem of sadness cries out for the pain.]
[Record of Pain: Finn Modria is affected by the Requiem of Sadness.]
[Record of Pain: Finn Modria has all of its stats increased by 35%.]
“Dodge!”
Crush!
Karen and Karuna.
As well as Seol and Changsik.
As the tides turned, all of them turned to the defensive.
RUUUMBLE!
Blood Spear rumbled much louder than before, even just flying through the air.
Baaaam!
“Krgh!”
“Karuna!”
The Twin Knights were also in trouble due to the summons from Finn’s Ruby Mirror having their stats increased as well.
“Get away from him!”
Bam!
It seemed like even though Finn’s Ruby Mirror could imitate their stats and skills, they couldn’t copy their synergy. The battle between the summons continued.
“Damn it… They keep regenerating!”
Ruby Mirror.
It wasn’t an Exceptional Skill for no reason. It was also why Seol knew he had an awful matchup versus Finn.
The Twin Knights were forced to fight themselves before they could assist Seol in taking down Finn.
‘If only they still had Connected Soul…’
It would have been manageable if Finn’s other Exceptional Skill, Clogged Flow, hadn’t sealed Connected Soul. In fact, they would have been able to overcome their counterparts by now and joined the fight against Finn.
However, as always, it ended up becoming the worst-case scenario.
Fwoosh!
Finn’s attack strategy was so monotonous that despite the requiem crying out, Changsik and Seol were safe.
‘But that’s exactly Finn’s style.’
To never cross the line.
Even until the final moments.
Finn only emerged from his shell when the opponent let down their guard, providing an opportunity for a decisive attack to end it all.
Rumble…
After the requiem ended, a new season arrived.
The eyes of the statue of the demonic beast carrying a treasure chest glowed.
[Penance: Season of Demonic Beasts arrives.]
[Harsh winds rage on the battlefield.]
Wooooosh!
“Krgh…”
“Hold on!”
The Season of Demonic Beasts was the time of rest.
The harsh winds removed all of the giant swords from the battlefield and swept away any debris and dust.
Fwoooooosh!
Baam! Baaaam!
If you were unlucky during this season, you could get hit by a sword or debris, lose your balance, and inevitably fall into the void below.
Fwoooooosh!
This season was challenging for both offense and defense.
Everyone, Finn’s doll included, simply lowered their stance and did their best to resist the winds.
‘We were able to catch a breather here, but… I need all of the seasons to arrive already.’
After the final, remaining season, the Season of Reapers, it became the Season of Whimsy.
Because the Season of Whimsy was a combination of the other seasons, it was a perfect moment to take advantage of the variables.
‘I have to hold on until then!’
The battle would likely be decided then.
Seol planned to turn everything around then and there.
Rumble…
Fwooosh…
The winds slowly subsided before returning the square to its original state.
Dash!
Seol and Changsik ran toward Finn once more. It was creating another Blood Spear to harass the Twin Knights, and they were trying to stop him.
Fwooosh!
Baaaaam!
In the end, Finn shot the spear at Changsik, while using Refusal on Seol.
“Urgh…”
The situation was no different from before. And it also seemed like this status would be maintained for quite a while.
However, as the ground rumbled once more, the seasons began changing.
Rumble Rumble…
The eyes of the statue of the reaper carrying a scythe and lamp glowed.
[Penance: Season of Reapers arrives.]
[Soul dolls appear on the battlefield.]
[The souls at the top of the lamp come to the battlefield.]
* * *
Translator - goguma
Proofreader - Karane
* * *
Souls, or at least what seemed like them, oozed out of the reaper’s lantern and fell to the battlefield.
Fwooosh!
It took them only an instant to appear similar to Finn’s doll.
There were four of them in total.
Creak…
Creak…
The dolls began coming to life.
‘We need to survive this if we want to make it to the Season of Whimsy…’
The Season of Reapers brought the collected souls of the dead onto the battlefield as soul dolls.
As the majority of them were fully mentally contaminated when they were dead, these soul dolls only served to harm the flagellants.
Seol and Changsik locked eyes.
Changsik nodded.
Someone had to take care of the soul dolls, and it obviously had to be Changsik.
Though Seol could defeat the soul dolls in an instant, Changsik would also die during that time.
Creaaak…
The dolls began to talk.
[Hyung… Why…]
[It’s because of you… Changsik…]
[It’s because you abandoned us…]
Creak…
Crack!
Baaaaam!
The dolls’ movements were sharp and fierce.
It only took an instant for Changsik to recognize who they were.
“Guys…”
They were the party members who joined Seol and Changsik on this Adventure.
Seong Jaeho, who went into the Door of Doubts.
Jang Heungsu, who went into the Door of Patience.
Kim Taegyu, who went into the Door of Pain.
[It’s me, hyung…]
“Don’t lie to me…”
Creaaak…
[Why did you kill me? Why?!]
Baaaaaam!
Though Seol struggled facing Finn on his own, Changsik was the person in the most danger.
[Your Mental Contamination has reached 85.]
The comrades who entered the labyrinth with him all harbored a desire for his death, all as faceless dolls.
[Your Mental Contamination has reached 87.]
Changsik didn’t know how this was possible, but…
He steeled his trembling heart and gripped his sword.
He focused on the problem ahead of him, pushing aside the mental pain.
He had no other options but to do so. After all, he had to fight with three dolls, each about as strong as him.
“St-stop this… Just let us go!”
One of the dolls tilted its head, confused.
[Let you go? Why should we?]
[Are you really planning to leave on your own?]
[How dare you leave us to rot in here!]
[You said you’d take us with you… I thought… you would take us…]
Changsik gulped and gripped his sword tighter.
“Die!”
Two dolls charged straight at Changsik.
Claaang! Clang!
“Krgh…”
Clang!
However, as expected, Changsik struggled more than usual due to being shaken up.
Splaaaatter!
“Guaaaargh!”
Taegyu’s doll stabbed Changsik in the thigh.
It wasn’t to the point that Changsik could no longer move, but it was still an injury that worsened with time.
[Yeah, you deserve that! All of it is your fault!]
“Stop it! What do you even want me to do?!”
[Then… can you save us?]
“......”
‘No.’
Despite the answer being certain, the words couldn’t escape Changsik’s mouth.
Though they were currently in combat, they still were once comrades who believed in and trusted each other.
This answer would only serve to hurt them.
However, silence was also an answer.
Jaeho’s doll murmured to himself.
[I knew it…]
Heungsu’s doll, who had been observing from the back, could no longer contain his rage and sprinted toward Changsik, intent on stabbing him as well.
[Die! You need to die too!]
Changsik prepared to simply endure the attack, planning to ensure that he killed one of the dolls.
‘If I can’t reduce the number of dolls right now… it’s hopeless!’
Truthfully, one or two fewer dolls wouldn’t change the entire landscape of the battlefield. However, Changsik still tried to do what he could to help Seol.
He knew he had to do whatever he could to create an opportunity for Seol.
But then… something strange happened.
Crush!
The doll that clattered toward Changsik had fallen over.
“Krgh… what the hell?!”
Changsik couldn’t believe his eyes.
The final doll, the doll that had been entirely silent, swept Heungsu off its feet.
Crush!
“......”
It didn’t stop there, either. It quickly planted its foot on Heungsu’s head, stomping until it broke.
‘The dolls… are fighting? But more importantly… Who is that doll supposed to be?’
Changsik was certain only three people challenged the labyrinth with him and Seol.
However, four dolls appeared.
There was an extra doll.
A doll Changsik didn't know about. Though it was clear they were someone who challenged the labyrinth, he didn’t know anything about them.
[Who… Who are you?!]
Fwoosh!
Crush!
The mysterious doll unleashed a punch, completely shattering Jaeho’s head.
At the same time, the doll spun and let out a powerful kick. It aimed perfectly for Taegyu’s temple, shattering its head as well.
[Why are you blockin—]
CRUUUUSH!
It all happened in a flash.
Like a bolt of lightning, three dolls were destroyed before Changsik could even blink.
The mysterious doll that destroyed the other dolls…
The doll shook its head as if it was confused.
Seol immediately shouted.
“...Toki!”
Creak…
The doll looked at Seol.
“...Is that you?” groaned the doll.
“Is that really you… Toki?”
The doll Seol called Toki raised its head as if it realized something.
And then, it immediately began running towards Finn.
Finn instantly used Refusal, recognizing the danger.
Baaaam!
“Krgh…”
Toki rolled on the floor to mitigate the damage and stood back up.
Skid…
After getting back up cleanly, Toki opened its mouth once more.
“It seems as if God has prepared this place for me…”
“Toki…”
The unseemly saint floundered, even in death.
Just as he did in life, always ready to assist another
“...There is still a use for me here.”
Gloooooow!
Rumble…
[Penance: Season of Whimsy arrives.]
[All of the seasons will be scrambled together.]
