The 31st Piece Turns the Tables
chapter-184

Creaaak…

Thud!

After seeing the door close behind them, Ur said a word to Seol.

"Hm... So they've also included a spell that recreates the magic circles when it's closed again.”

“Would that be an issue?”

“Not at all. In fact, they’ve just made hiding our tracks easier. If it were me, I would’ve changed out the entire design of this first…”

Seol, quickly recalling Ur’s skill from earlier, asked him a question.

“Ur, what was that skill just now?”

“Skill? When did I use a skill?”

“You just consumed that magic circle.”

“Something like that can’t even be called a skill. Have you forgotten who the father of all magic was?”

Ur was the first wizard.

His actions were currently beyond Seol’s comprehension.

“However, there are restrictions behind it.”

“Restrictions…?”

“This is all because I’ve become your summon. When I last checked, this body’s limits were deciphering, dismantling, and condensing.”

“What do you mean?”

"It's simple. I can decipher mana-related items and mana itself and break it down to its core: pure mana."

"And condensing?"

"I could then condense the dismantled mana into a large mass.”

“What would you use that for?”

“Isn’t that obvious? To kill my enemies.”

“......”

"It's also my only method of attacking at the moment. In essence, I devour spells to store them, condense the mana, and then unleash it upon my enemies."

“...That’s all you can do? Really?”

“Quiet! This is all because of you! Did you forget that you could only summon me because I weakened myself to match your pathetic level? It’s almost my first time being so weak. It’s awful!”

“Hm…”

"Not to mention, I've always focused on things other than combat."

“Other things?”

Ur laughed insidiously.

"Nurturing and refining. You have no idea how many wizards I've guided who have left their mark on history."

“Of course, I wouldn’t. It’s not like anyone remembers wizards anyway.”

“...There’s a mistake. It’s clear that something went awry.”

Seol paused his conversation with Ur for a moment to check the contents of the Sudden Adventure.

[Your 23rd Adventure is starting.]

[Adventure 23. Stockholm Syndrome]

[Adventure 23. ‘Stockholm Syndrome’

Rare is the occasion when one feels not only sympathy for the villain but also swayed by their plight. Yet, undoubtedly, it occurs.

Malacus, once an adversary who pushed you to the brink, had lost both of his eyes and family to the hands of unknown assailants when he was young.

His life was then consumed by rage and despair. Through the letter he left behind, you had learned of his past. Boldly, he requested the reader to seek vengeance on his behalf.

Your willingness to heed his plea fluctuates day by day. Some days, it matters little; others, you feel compelled to act.

Such is the trivial bond between you and Malacus.

By chance, you encounter someone bearing traits reminiscent of those who deprived Malacus of his family. And also by chance, you uncover a hidden chamber, a secret kept by them.

Today is a day filled with many coincidences.

For you…

And for your opponent as well.

Regardless, you plan to uncover the secrets of this basement.

Objective: Uncover the basement’s secrets.

This Adventure is a Sudden Adventure.

Remaining Time [About 3 days]]

‘Yeah, it really is a coincidence.’

In truth, Seol cared little for Malacus's past.

What significance did Malacus's life hold for him, after all?

Nonetheless, Seol found himself in the role of Malacus’s avenger.

‘How ironic.’

Bornuil quickly borrowed Ur’s body to get a word in.

"Ohoho... the basement is quite spacious. We shouldn't regard it as a mere storage area."

Bornuil typically remained asleep, allowing Ur complete control.

Despite the belief that one sleeps less as they age, that didn't seem to be the case for Bornuil.

[Intermediate Insight activates.]

[You have found traces of swept-away cobwebs.]

[You have found unerased footprints.]

[It is clear that this place has been recently cleaned.]

Seol inspected everything as he descended further underground, like a detective.

Flap flap…

A crow Seol had dispatched earlier showed a reaction.

‘That way.’

Even though it was underground, it didn’t feel damp at all.

“Urgh…”

Seol entered an isolated room, following the crow.

Within, a man drooled, his arms and legs bound to the wall with iron chains, his gaze fixed straight ahead.

“H-Hyung?”

“...Gyeongtaek.”

“Hyung?! Is that you?”

The drooling man was Jo Gyeongtaek.

All of his equipment had been stripped from him, leaving him only in his underwear.

“Hyung… Y-You have to run away… this place is…”

“It’s fine. It’s alright now.”

“......”

“I’m here.”

Gyeongtaek's head hung low.

“I’m sorry…”

“What for?”

“I just am.”

Crush!

Seol broke the iron cuffs with one swift tug.

Luckily, Gyeongtaek didn't appear to be particularly injured.

He simply seemed to have some difficulty moving after being tied down for so long.

“Are you alright?”

“I am, but… where are we?”

“...Do you not remember?”

Gyeongtaek did not seem to be in the right state of mind.

Not only were his pupils rolling around, but he also continued to gaze upward as if searching for something in the sky.

“What… What happened to me?”

“What do you remember, Gyeongtaek?”

"I went to the Gatiff manor because of my party members, and I sat down after being led by one of the employees... but I don't remember anything after that. I was here when I woke up."

“...Can you move?”

“Yes, my body feels normal. More importantly, hyung… how did you…”

Seol calmly explained to Gyeongtaek how he ended up there. Gyeongtaek, after hearing that, thanked Seol.

“I can’t believe you came here just for me…”

“It was easier than I thought.”

“And hyung… it’s marked as a dangerous Adventure… It’s my first time seeing a warning like that…”

Oftentimes, a message stating, "This Adventure is very dangerous" would pop up from time to time.

However, Seol learned that it wasn't necessarily a cause for concern.

‘Alcatron was just a unique case.’

The warning didn’t necessarily indicate that the Adventure was difficult to clear. It was a message that automatically appeared when it exceeded the difficulty level typically manageable for someone at that level.

‘It shouldn’t matter as long as my level is similar.’

It was no longer something Seol had to mind at all. After all, he was fine even in Alcatron.

Seol was currently in the middle of Timbrian, in a noble's basement. Nothing here could compare to what he experienced in Alcatron.

“There’s no need to worry.”

“Th-then… Do you think my party members… could be here as well?”

"Let's search for them since we have time."

Squeak squeak… squeak…

Seol nudged the rats away with his foot as he continued.

Then, he checked his inventory for any spare equipment before handing them over to Gyeongtaek. It was certainly better than leaving him walking around in his underwear.

“Aren’t these all… Rare-quality or higher?”

“Even if you don’t like them, keep them on until we get out.”

“...Okay.”

Ahem…

Ur spoke to Seol from the Shadow Space.

- I smell blood.

‘I sensed it too.’

Seol swiftly stopped after smelling blood nearby.

While Seol was used to corpses and blood, the same couldn't be said for Gyeongtaek beside him.

“Gyeongtaek.”

“Yes?”

“I smell blood.”

“......”

“It could be your party members.”

“...It’s okay. I’ll prepare myself.”

Step… step…

The two entered another secret area.

“This is…”

A putrid odor permeated the room, emanating from the leather sacks stacked in the corner.

There were also bloodied tools, which Seol couldn't determine whether they were meant for some sort of experiment or torture.

Gyeongtaek walked toward one of the leather sacks before opening it.

“Bwrgh…”

He quickly turned his head away before vomiting.

After emptying his stomach, Gyeongtaek spoke to Seol.

“Corpses…”

“...Let’s look elsewhere.”

Gyeongtaek’s face turned completely pale.

It appeared that witnessing one horrifying scene after another would have that effect on anyone.

Open…

The two opened another door.

“Over there! I see my equipment!”

“Really?”

“Yeah! Let me change real quick.”

Seol nodded in response.

At first glance, this room seemed like a treasure trove.

'Well, perhaps "treasure" wasn't the right word,' Seol thought.

These items were likely left behind by the deceased, belongings of the corpses from the earlier room.

Unlike the earlier rooms that had been neglected, this room appeared to have been well-maintained. The items were neatly organized by type, allowing Gyeongtaek to quickly locate all of his original equipment.

Seol, noticing that most of the items here were of low quality, shifted his interest to other things.

Flutter…

“Papers?”

Seol, seeing a bundle of papers in a corner, began rummaging through them.

Fwip…

Fwip…

Seol saw various important documents like land certificates and inheritances.

"These are all just spoils.”

Things that the individual behind it all took after killing the victims.

Seol gritted his teeth in anger at the culprit's cruelty as he sifted through more and more documents.

But then….

“......”

Seol’s hands stopped at one particular certificate.

A painful memory came flowing back to him.

- I can’t… do it anymore… I want to go back. Isn’t this more than enough?

‘No, it can’t be.’

- I'm telling you, I'm done with these damned adventures! I'm going back home to farm instead! My family is waiting for me, and I have no intention of dying in a place like this!

‘A plot of land in Adeline… So, here…’

After inspecting the land certificate, Seol proceeded to locate its position on the map.

After that, Seol walked over to Gyeongtaek.

“Hyung? What’s wrong?”

“...Let’s go. I need to check something.”

Seol, carrying the land certificate that troubled him, exited the room with Gyeongtaek.

Before arriving in this room, only Gyeongtaek was worried. But now, the situation had changed.

* * *

Translator - goguma

Proofreader - Karane

* * *

The two began to navigate the underground faster than before. It didn’t take long for Gyeongtaek to locate his party members.

“Gyeongtaek!”

“Hyomin noona!”

“I’m here too!”

“Kangoh hyung!”

Gyeongtaek only saw two of them.

He didn’t see the others.

“Where’s… everyone else?”

“They’re…”

“They’re all dead! I saw those masked bastards kill them with my own two eyes!”

Grind…

“Those fucking bastards…”

Gyeongtaek quickly freed the woman named Hyomin and the man named Kangoh from their restraints.

Thanks to Gyeongtaek bringing along some spare equipment earlier, they were able to avoid any embarrassing moments.

Hyomin, realizing her situation, quickly spoke up.

“W-We have to run. Gyeongtaek! We need to run, now…”

“Why? Those bastards killed…”

"It's because we overheard what they were discussing. This... This isn't something we should involve ourselves in.”

“But what about our dead party members?!” Gyeongtaek shouted in anger.

“......”

However, the option wasn’t theirs to choose.

“We… can’t go back yet.”

“Who are… wait… don’t tell me you’re?!”

“Hyung! Seol hyung’s here!”

“Really? Is that really him?”

“Yeah! So just believe in him!”

The two smiled upon recognizing Seol, as if they had gained an army of support.

However, after hearing Seol's next words, their expressions quickly turned to frowns.

"We have to uncover what's going on in here."

“B-But…”

“Let’s just do as he says, noona,” said Gyeongtaek. “Trying to escape on our own would be more dangerous.”

After some quick convincing from Gyeongtaek, Kangoh, and Hyomin agreed to follow Seol once more, and the group resumed their exploration of the underground.

However, their search quickly came to an end.

- Up ahead.

Seol nodded in response to Ur's voice and pressed forward. Iron cages littered their surroundings, containing some kind of humanoid creatures trapped within.

“...I see.”

“Oh my god… aren’t they all shadows?”

“Hyung, is this… really alright?”

Seol peered into the cages at the shadows trapped within.

“Ahhh… Uarrrr…”

The shadows spoke unintelligibly. Names were written at the top of the cages, likely identifying the individuals whose shadows were trapped within.

As Seol examined one name after another, he noticed that they were arranged in alphabetical order.

‘If so…’

Seol quickly walked through, looking for a specific name.

‘It won’t… It can’t be here.’

However, not long after, Seol came to a halt in front of a particular steel cage.

“Urrrrrrrrr…”

The shadow in the cage, resembling a middle-aged man at first glance, attempted to say something upon seeing Seol.

And at that exact moment…

Craaaaaaash!

A few daggers flew through the air, landing where Seol had stood moments before.

A voice emerged from the darkness.

“Fufufu… You dodged that? You’re pretty good for a transferee, aren’t you?”

A female beastman resembling a cat appeared from the halls behind them.

“...That awful-smelling cat from earlier?”

“Don’t fuck with me… but why’d you have to come here? You ended up revealing everything. What should I do, hm… You seem pretty strong too…” said the beastman.

Hyomin, from behind Seol, whispered to him.

“It’s dangerous…”

“......”

The female beastman reacted to Hyomin’s voice.

“You… You know something, don’t you?”

“I-I don’t…”

“Who am I?”

“I told you, I don’t know…”

“Then who do I work for?”

“Stop, please…”

"The Church of Eternal Life again?" Seol remarked in a flat tone.

“Yeah, you’re right! I’m working for the Church of Eternal Life. Now… what should I do with you…?”

Gyeongtaek was shocked after hearing their name.

“Th-The Church of Eternal Life?!”

“Fufufu… It seems like you’ve heard of us as well, child,” said the female beastman.

“.......”

Gyeongtaek's expression froze. It appeared that information about the Church of Eternal Life had spread to the transferees as well.

Contrastingly, Seol's expression remained unchanged as he regarded the beastman with a cool demeanor.

"The Church of Eternal Life wouldn't stoop to something like this. They aren't interested in such matters. Their leader is the only thing on their minds.”

“How did you know that?”

"Acts like these… are only committed by pathetic bastards who aspire to join them. Bastards like you.”

“Fufu… You might have been right in the past, but… the Church of Eternal Life is a bit different now.”

“...Is that so?”

Despite their conversation, Seol’s gaze had remained fixed on the steel cage in front of him.

Feeling ignored, the catwoman began to growl and lash out in frustration.

“Focus on me! Ah! Don’t tell me… is that shadow someone you know?”

“Yeah, unfortunately.”

The name on the steel cage: Lian Kuruos.

An individual who used to be Seol’s piece.

A piece that Seol had returned to his family. Why was he here?

Everyone had lines that others couldn't cross, boundaries that, when violated, could trigger uncontrollable rage.

For Seol, that line was his life—his pieces.

“You… will die here.”

"Pfft... yeah? But oh no... I doubt the Church of Eternal Life would just sit back if you did that.”

Crossing the line meant invoking Seol's fury.

“If the Church of Eternal Life gets in my way… I’ll end them as well.”

Glooow…

Black energy began to gather in Seol’s hands.