The 31st Piece Turns the Tables
chapter-171

A week before Seol met up with the expedition party, he was in the middle of a conversation with Ner.

“So what you’re saying is… Even though they're both predators on Floor B4, Stompy is much stronger than Koko, right?”

“Yeah! It’s because of the matchup.”

“And Stompy is a rock giant, right?”

“You saw it too, didn’t you? The way he stomps around everywhere. Him being a rock giant is good, though. If he wasn’t, then he would be eating the prisoners instead of rocks.”

“Hm… couldn’t it be different if they fought head-on?”

"Yeah, it could be different. But I can feel it. Stompy’s much stronger. Koko won’t be able to bite him at all. Well, even if Koko does manage to bite him, Stompy will still win. The most you can hope for is probably a tie."

“So facing him head-on is probably out of the picture... One more question. Are Koko and Stompy the only predators on this floor?”

Before answering, Ner looked up into the sky, as if he was trying to recall something.

“There were a bunch of them, but Stompy killed them each time they got out of line. I’m pretty sure there was one more, but I don’t see them around anymore. They were quite an interesting friend with six arms, but... I’m pretty sure Stompy probably killed them as well.”

After finishing his conversation with Ner, Seol contemplated.

‘What do I do if I have to fight Stompy?’

It would be ideal if they could pass by him as planned, but Seol also had to prepare for the worst.

While Ner clearly knew some things, he didn’t know everything.

Not to mention, the person behind everything told Ner that if he told Seol any more than this, they would take action as well.

‘Regardless of who awaits us below… it's clear they want to meet us.’

Though the mysterious person kept playing tricks on them, in another sense, it could be seen as a test to weed out those too weak to meet them.

Seol, opting to address those questions by meeting the mysterious individual face-to-face, then turned his thoughts to other matters.

First, was on how he’d pass Lineage onto Koko.

Cut…

“Urgh…”

Seol made a cut on his palm before squeezing out blood.

Since he possessed the Blood of Origin anyway, an injury like that would heal in seconds.

Seol had been gathering his blood over the past couple of days to give to Koko to drink.

Whine…

At first, Koko rejected it. However, as Seol began mixing it in with Koko’s food and water, he eventually welcomed it.

Pant pant…

Still, there was no real reaction.

‘Is it because he’s large? Or is consumption not a suitable method to pass on Lineage?’

For example, by creating an actual family to pass it on instead.

‘Or… maybe it isn’t working because he isn’t my summon?’

Twitch…

Twitch twitch…

Koko began to shudder.

‘Finally, a reaction!’

Whiiine…

Koko shuddered as if undergoing something painful.

[Lineage is formed with Koko.]

[Passive: Good Lineage activates.]

[Those who have inherited Blood of Origin have all of their stats increased by 20%.]

[Those connected to your bloodline also receive the Eyes of Foresight.]

‘Nice!’

Koko was a Transcendent-rank monster.

Increasing all of his stats by 20% was clearly a significant upgrade.

Whine…

Lick.

After changing his eyes to look a bit more similar to Seol’s eyes, Koko rubbed his body against Seol's leg.

[A Charming Individual activates. You receive additional favorability.]

[You have acquired ‘Koko, the Starving’ as a helper.]

[‘Koko, the Starving’ is a Transcendent rank.]

[Helpers have a chance of appearing in all Adventures.]

[They will help you differently based on their favorability toward you.]

‘...In the end, it ended up like this. I should try to come up with a way to take him with me, though.’

Seol was preparing for the worst-case scenario, but he hoped he would never have to find out the answer to the question, 'Could Koko defeat Stompy if he consumed the Blood of Origin?'.

* * *

Translator - goguma

Proofreader - Karane

* * *

[Koko used Rip and Tear.]

[Injuries inflicted by this attack result in bleeding three times more severe than normal.]

[Bleeding from this effect does not stop easily.]

[This effect does not affect targets immune to bleeding.]

Grrrrrrrr!

Grah! Kargh! Kraaaargh!

Of course, the mass of rocks didn’t bleed.

Rock giants had an innate immunity to bleeding, after all.

Seol didn’t dwell on the obvious and instead, focused on what truly mattered.

‘Koko’s attacks are working! They’re working on Stompy!’

Stompy swung his arms, knocking Koko away, and quickly stood back up.

However, Seol hadn’t just been observing.

Craaaackle!

Seol casted Volcano Armor on both himself and Koko.

After that, he let Koko do whatever he pleased.

Seol wasn’t Koko’s summoner, and Koko wasn’t Seol’s summon. There was nothing he could do to control him.

Glooooow…

Fwirl!

Seol, after quickly summoning the Twin Knights, gave them a command.

“Save the others!”

“Got it!”

The reason Stompy was so terrifying wasn’t because of his 1 vs. 1 skills.

It was because of his immense defense and the wide area each of his attacks covered, dealing massive AoE damage.

‘Karuna and Karen’s attacks likely won’t work on Stompy.’

If they wanted to deal damage to Stompy with bladed weapons, it would require considerable force behind each strike, and even then, success wasn’t guaranteed.

And for those reasons, Seol ordered Karun and Karen to strictly save the others, to minimize the number of casualties.

Rumble Rumble Rumble!

Gnash! Crash!

Koko was massive, but even then, he couldn’t compare to Stompy. Stompy was practically a walking skyscraper in the eyes of the expedition party.

The difference between their size was like that of a human and a dog.

[Koko used Wallop.]

[Koko’s damage increases by 20% and attack speed increases by 30% for a short duration.]

Grrrrrr…

Kraaaaaah!

With each swing of his front paws, Koko carved out rocks from Stompy's body.

Ruuumble!

“Kuaaaargh!”

Seol began attacking Stompy’s feet as if he didn’t want to lose out to Koko.

‘...He’s tough.’

Still, most of his attacks weren’t working.

“Kuur? Kraaaaaaah!”

Stompy unleashed a roar.

It seemed like he was quite frustrated by the expedition party attacking him while dodging the falling rocks.

[Stompy used Stomp Stompy Stomp!.]

[Rocks plummet to the ground, fracturing as they fall. For a brief period, the shattered terrain and falling rocks become more susceptible to further destruction, with the fragments gaining increased damage. Additionally, these fragments scatter over a much wider area than usual.]

“Run awaaaaaay!” shouted Seol.

Rumble Rumble!

Rumble Rumble Rumble!

From the rocks falling from the ceiling to the debris from Stompy’s body…

They all came barreling down at once, like an avalanche.

Rumble rumble rumble…

“Krrrrgh…”

“Do—”

It was like multiple grenades had just gone off.

Seol spotted countless expedition party members who had failed to dodge the falling rocks.

‘Damn it…’

As if trying to solidify his victory, Stompy activated his Unique Skill.

[Stompy’s Unique Skill: Rock Shower activates.]

[The rocks that fell from Stompy's body erupt into fury.]

Rumble rumble rumble…

Small rocks around Stompy began to float before slowly beginning to spin.

"Everyone, this way!" shouted Chameli.

Chameli’s voice pierced through the chaos, turning everyone’s heads toward her.

She and the pilgrims around her were preparing a spell, chanting.

“May you guide us to your safe lands!”

Gloooooow!

[Chameli activates Sanctification: Paradise.]

[While Paradise is active, deflect the majority of incoming projectiles.]

“Quickly, this way!”

“Ahhhhhhh!”

The expedition party quickly ran toward the golden bubble the pilgrims worked together to create.

“O-Over there!”

“The Steel Lion is…”

The leader of the Steel Lion Mercenaries was running toward the bubble while carrying someone on his back.

“Haah… Haah…”

“Let me go… just leave me behind… it’s too late for me…”

“Don’t die, Yofimba!” shouted the mercenary leader.

“You’re… quite a nice guy, aren’t you? It’s too late for me… my organs are already ripped up.”

“Damn it! This is why you should’ve watched your weight!”

“You’ll die too at this rate… Don’t die like this.”

“Shut up! I cannot taint the Steel Lion name!”

The Steel Lion rushed faster toward the bubble while carrying Yofimba, who was covered in blood.

However…

“B-Behind you!”

“No!”

Stompy swung his tree-sized bat down toward the Steel Lion and Yofimba, who were moments away from being crushed.

“Block it!”

Hummm…

[Frannan used Magic Circle: Lighten.]

[For a short while, the target is 90% lighter.]

[Frannan used Magic Circle: Hesitation.]

[Temporarily reduce the target’s Strength by 20%.]

Before Frannan could activate his magic circles, someone appeared by the Steel Lion’s side.

It was Seol, his summons, and Mael.

Cruuuush!

“Krghhh…”

“Urghhh…”

Despite their valiant defense against Stompy's initial attack, he relentlessly pressed on, trying to grind them into the ground.

Clench clench…

Suddenly, Mael’s body grew tremendously, to the point that his shirt began to rip off.

“Krahhhhhhh!”

[Mael used Blood Shamanic Spell: Hatred.]

[Temporarily overload your muscles to explosively increase Strength.]

[There exists a chance of losing your sanity.]

“Kraaaaaaaaaah!”

Fwoosh!

Thuuuuuud!

Thankfully, that provided more than enough time for the others to cast spells and deflect Stompy’s wooden club.

They hurried over and finally arrived at the golden bubble casted by the pilgrims.

“Yofimba!”

“H-He’s lost too much blood!”

“I’m alright, so go and fight… you bastards…” said Yofimba before fainting immediately.

Bark! Bark!

As Koko drew Stompy’s attention, Frannan said a word to Seol.

“Even your dog’s useless against that rockhead.”

“...He’s a pain.”

“It's your head that suffers when your body is weak. His defense is the main issue… I wonder if we have anything with enough power that could actually deal damage to him…” said Frannan while glancing at Seol.

He was essentially asking Seol if he had that kind of power.

“...I might have something.”

"Alright. And you're aware that giants have ridiculous vitality that allows them to survive even with collapsed hearts, right?"

“I do.”

“So, where do you aim for?”

“The head.”

“Haha… I’ll drag his head down to a good height for you.”

As Rock Shower stopped, Stompy began his rampage once more.

Frannan began murmuring to himself. As he did, Seol and the other combatants did their best to buy time for him.

“The last time I used this spell was during the Giant Subjugation… It’s been a long time.”

Hummmmm…

[Frannan used High-Rank Magic Circle: Leg Breaker.]

[Temporarily unleash 300% of your spell power as force damage to a designated area.]

“Not yet…”

[Frannan used High-Rank Magic Circle: Accumulation.]

[The effects of the magic circles overlap.]

Hummmmm…

[Frannan used High-Rank Magic Circle: Collapse.]

[The effects of the next force-type spell are increased by 75%.]

……

The expedition party began to whisper to each other after seeing Frannan concentrate for the first time.

“Wh-what is he…”

“How many complex spells is he going to overlap…?”

Thanks to Seol and Koko buying time, Frannan managed to safely finish his spell.

“I’m done! Get out of the way!”

“Koko! Dodge!”

Seol and Koko dashed off the sides of Stompy's body and into the air.

Frannan’s mana began to swell and surge throughout the room.

“You little shiiiiiiiiiit!”

[Frannan used Exceptional Skill: Respect Your Elders.]

[Deal force damage to a designated area.]

Crackle, Crackle, Craaaaackle…

Countless magic circles began to twist the air as they exploded.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Crumble crumble…

“Kraaaaaaaaah!”

Stompy’s legs had been severed at their kneecaps. Well, ‘destroyed’ might have been a better word to describe the impact.

Fwoooosh…

“R-Run awayyyyy!”

“He’s falling over!’

Stompy fell over backward.

Thuuuuuud!

The impact was so powerful that it felt like the air also shook.

However, all wasn’t good.

Rumble rumble…

Dust and rocks began to gather at the site where Stompy's legs had broken off, as if attempting to form new ones.

“My dear disciple! Is my order still not ready yet?”

Fwiiirl…

Seol leaped into the air before landing precisely on Stompy's chest.

From there, Seol could execute an easy, unavoidable attack on Stompy's head.

Clench…

Rumble rumble…

Crackle crackle…

[You have changed to the Rain of Fire Stance.]

[All attacks will spread flames.]

[An explosion will occur at the impact point of each attack.]

[Thunderbolts will spread at the impact point of each attack.]

[Passive: Moving Flames is applied.]

[Passive: Heat and Warmth is applied.]

[Passive: Static is applied.]

Ripple!

[You used Night Crow: Iron Fist Rule.]

[Shadow Hand is affected by Passive: Moving Flames.]

[Shadow Hand is affected by Passive: Heat and Warmth.]

[Shadow Hand is affected by Passive: Static.]

A large, black arm, roughly the size of Stompy’s massive arms, filled the room, crackling with lightning and engulfed in flames.

“Arghhhhhhh!”

Fwooooosh…

And then, it struck the ground.

Booooooom!

Crackle crackle!

“Urgh…”

Flinch…

Whiiish…

Frannan was shocked.

Despite Seol's attack having destroyed half of Stompy's face, rocks were once again beginning to gather around him.

“Oh my god! He’s still alive! No! He’s still…”

Seol gritted his teeth.

As expected from a Transcendent-rank giant, he managed to survive Seol’s strongest attack on his weak point.

‘Damn it. I didn’t think he’d survive…’

At this rate, Stompy would likely recover once more before going on another rampage.

Yet, luck wasn't solely on Stompy's side.

[Tuner(Exceptionality) activates.]

[Recover all mana used by Iron Fist Rule.]

Agony’s effect had activated.

Seol quickly grew his arm again after sensing his mana return.

Grooooow!

“Just fucking…”

Fwoooosh…

“...die already!”

Baaaaaaam!

Crackle crackle…

With that final strike, the remainder of Stompy's head was blown away.

Crumble crumble…

After losing his head, Stompy's body started to crumble away. Gradually, even his limbs disintegrated.

[You have defeated Stompy, the Hard.]

[You are the first to defeat a Transcendent-rank enemy.]

[You have earned the Inaugural Achievement 'Superhuman Path'.]

[You have earned the Inaugural Title 'Superhuman'.]

……

Countless messages entered Seol’s vision.

No one in the expedition party could believe what they just saw.

“H-He’s a human like us?”

“Even if Aspect Magician Frannan was expected…”

“Who is he…”

There were a variety of reactions.

But despite all that, only one thing caught Seol’s eye.

As Stompy's body began to break down, it gradually unveiled something.

‘This is…?’

A spherical, hard marble.

Seol carefully lifted it into his hands.

And then…

Rumble…

[The rock giant’s core quakes.]

[Mountain Primal Power shows a reaction.]