The 31st Piece Turns the Tables
chapter-35

The massive flowers widened their mouths filled with razor-sharp teeth and tried to swallow Seol whole.

And just as Seol was about to be sucked in…

Graaaaab!

“Get away! Hurry!”

Jamad pulled on the flower’s stem from the other side to help Seol escape from the danger.

“Jamad!”

“Run! Don’t worry about me!”

[Overgrown Lifeform used Charm Pollen.]

“You think I’m just going to let you do that?!”

Fwoosh!

Buuuuurn…

Jamad swung his blazing fists, burning all of the pollen around him.

Seol’s face stiffened slightly.

The monster-sized plants were starting to surround Jamad.

The group was still charging toward the central control unit together. It would be incredibly dangerous for Jamad if he fell behind on his own here.

[Jamad has changed to the Earthquake Stance.]

Rumble Rumble Rumble…

TEAAAAAAAR!

Jamad grabbed the stems of the flowers with his fists and ripped them apart.

“Don’t make me tell you twice! I’ll be right behind you!”

“...Got it.”

Jamad slowly became surrounded by the giant plants until he was no longer in sight.

Seol then turned his head away from Jamad and resolved himself. He focused solely on solving the issue at hand.

“This is the central control unit,” said Arta.

“Damn it… Why the hell did he have to build this in the center of the lab? It’s over for us if we get cut off! Hurry, try to connect to it!”

“Understood.”

Step… Step…

Duun…

Arta reached his arms out to the central control unit.

And as he did…

Huuuuuuuuuum…

A bunch of indecipherable patterns lit up on the central control unit’s face.

Not too long after, Arta started making sounds.

“A critical error has occurred. Requesting permission to dispose of the research material.”

“You have to get permission?”

“Waiting for Griz’s permission…”

“Skip it! They’re coming!”

A vine caught one of the golems and swiftly wrapped itself around it.

Fwirl!

Karuna used his blazing sword to cut through the vines diagonally to free the golem.

Slice!

Burn…

“Hurry!”

“Understood. I will attempt to force authorization as a proxy.”

Huuuum…

Arta’s body glowed in a strange pattern.

“Arta-2, Director of Laboratory 81, has connected to the central control unit. Executing independent order.”

Fwirrrrl!

Boooom!

Cruuuuush!

A researcher’s head was caught by vines and crushed into scrap metal. Even though Seol worked hard to bring as many golems as he could, their numbers decreased.

‘Quickly… there’s no time!’

Seol urged Arta to work faster with his eyes.

And then… Arta’s eyes turned blue.

“Ordering functional researchers to delete all research materials.”

[Large-Scale Fire Response Device activated.]

Huuuuum…

Click.

Sliiiiiiiide…

Despite it being heavily underground, Seol could feel the fresh air like he was in the middle of the Great Forest.

Click… Click…

The machine golems opened the covers to their muzzles on both arms.

“Incineration order received.”

“Deleting all research materials.”

The golems raised and pointed their arms at the vines that were aiming for them.

And then…

An intense heat shot out from their muzzles.

“Kieeeeeee!”

“It worked!”

Burn…

The massive fire split apart the vines and leaves like how Moses parted the Red Sea.

The entire laboratory didn’t burn down in a flash now that the Fire Response Device was active but the stems of the demonic plants were incinerated brilliantly.

“According to my calculations, there is a probability of lacking enough gasoline to take down all of the plants. I implore you to rescue the remaining researchers, guest,” said Arta after walking next to Seol.

“Damn it! Got it!”

Since only half of the researchers were operational, Arta’s worry was right.

The fire singed Seol as he moved around but it also worked to help free the golems from the vines.

[You have activated Igram-31.]

[You have rescued a sleeping golem. (18/20)]

[You have activated Zuku-12.]

[You have rescued a sleeping golem. (19/20)]

Click.

Huuuuum!

Buuuuurn…

The green lab was now painted in black and red.

Even though they were flames, they didn’t make Seol fret.

It felt like a fire that had come to purify the world.

Currently, half of the lab was ablaze and the other half was filled with plants that escaped over there to run away from the fire.

Seol, knowing that he was able to overcome the danger, let out a sigh of relief.

‘Yeah, this is why it was a Solo Adventure.’

Unless something extremely unusual happened due to some variable, a Solo Adventure should rarely be harder than a 5-man Adventure. The only time it might look like that is if you haven’t found the correct strategy for it yet.

‘This could also be due to bad travel luck too.’

Since Seol rolled a 2 when he entered Nobira, even a Solo Adventure was something he had to be cautious about.

“Jamad!”

“...Over here.”

Jamad had already returned to Seol’s side before he knew it.

Jamad likely escaped the entrapment through his own efforts before the fires got stronger.

‘He’s definitely amazing.’

The fact that Jamad was able to escape from something like that alive made him look even more incredible to him.

“Kieeeeeee!”

“It’s almost over.”

This Adventure could probably also be cleared without the golems’ help if you were a fire magician or chose Mechanical Engineering as your talent.

But, as expected, the easiest and cleanest way to clear this was probably the method that Seol chose. The fact that he was able to find this method in such a crisis was praiseworthy.

“...Hm?”

Jamad scowled.

He then clenched his fists tighter as he looked beyond the fire.

Seol was finally able to tell why Jamad was scowling after the fires died down a little.

“Kieeeeee!”

A mysterious flower was screaming as it was acting as a parasite on the final, unfreed golem.

“I’m pretty sure that’s the flower that is behind everything.”

As Seol rubbed his chin to think to himself, the flower charged at him.

“It’s dangerous!”

Jamad pushed Seol back and charged back into the golem.

Baaaaam!

“Jamad!”

Wrap!

Many vines writhed out from the golem’s body.

However this time, unlike the previous attacks that bent to strike like a whip, the vines slithered around like a snake.

[Overgrown Lifeform used Hivemind.]

‘Don’t tell me…!’

Even though the entire lab was set ablaze, the monster still hadn’t given up. It was tenaciously waiting for something to turn the situation around and had chosen Jamad as its target to enact it.

“Krgh!”

Jamad was unable to use his arms because of the golem. If the vines engulfed him, even if it was Jamad, he would simply be controlled by the monster.

However, despite the danger, Jamad calmly laughed.

“Oi, you lump of steel. Now’s your timing.”

Crush!

Jamad dug himself deeper into the golem’s arms to avoid the vines. He then twisted the golem’s arms inward to break both of them off.

It was an incredible feat but it looked like the vines were still going to reach him.

However, Karuna soared up from behind Jamad’s back.

Glooooow!

[Karuna has entered the 3rd Stage of Soaring Moonlight, Full Moon.]

“Hrgh!”

Karuna spun mid-air and rained down multiple illuminating sword strikes to the ground.

Burrrrrrrn!

Sliiiice!

“Kieeeeeee!”

Karuna then saw something shine in the destroyed monster’s body.

Staaaab!

Karuna thrust his sword into it.

Crush!

It sounded like something broke.

Boooom!

And as the sound rang out, the monster popped like a balloon.

Thud…

Buuuurn…

It was a horrific sight, to the point that it was justifiable to call it the middle of hell.

If it wasn’t for the Fire Response Device congealing the fire right away, Seol’s lungs would’ve been filled with smoke and ash by now.

“Fuuu…”

Not too long after, Seol saw messages.

[You have defeated the Overgrown Lifeform.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have received skill points.]

[You have acquired Multiple Spirit Container Belt (Incomplete).]

[You have acquired Blueprint: Multiple Spirit Container Belt.]

[You have acquired Intact Vitality Powder.]

[You have acquired Modest Leather Armor.]

[You have acquired 10 platinum coins.]

[You have acquired 2 gold coins.]

[You have acquired 677 silver coins.]

[You have acquired 33 medium red potions.]

[You have acquired 18 medium blue potions.]

……

An explosion of messages showed up at once.

Seol quickly searched through the flood of messages to find the words that he wanted.

‘Multiple Spirit Container! I knew it would be here.’

The Multiple Spirit Container Belt and its blueprint both came out at the same time Seol defeated the monster almost like the monster ate it.

[‘Nice items’ has donated 400 Madness!]

[We’re happy now, right? The spirit container belt is gonna fight on its own now, right?]

- How the fuck is a belt going to fight on its own lol

- Man there’s so many rewards for a Solo Adventure

- How was this hard at all sheeesh

[‘Today’s protagonist is’ has donated 300 Madness!]

[It’s Jamad. He was running around here and there on his own the entire day sheeesh]

- FACTS

- I was honestly scared when Jamad was left behind on his own…

- Jamad: It was at this moment I knew… I fucked up haha

- Stop bullying our Jamad 😭

- Look at Jamad man… so inspirational.

[‘Plant Lover’ has donated 100 Madness!]

[Why did you burn the plants? Could you not hear them screaming in pain? I am a plant supporter.]

- Yes, so let's support them by burning them all up. Ohohoho!

- They really burned well haha

- The problem is solved!

[‘Caught you’ has donated 200 Madness!]

[I found out his pattern. Problem happens -> His summons solve it -> Nods his head after watching them solve it.]

- Live life like Snowman.

- That nodding part kinda pisses me off LMFAO

- I bet even my baby cousin could do what he did.

- Guys… didn’t you guys just see that he has amazing decision-making?

- That was then and this is now!

Seol checked the new items that he got.

[[Multiple Spirit Container Belt (Incomplete)]

Quality: Special

Recommended Level: 10-20

Defense: 20

Durability: 140/140

Weight: 0.2kg

A belt designed by Griz, the genius inventor who is the pride of the continent.

It has immense potential but for various reasons, only the foundation for it has been properly set.

Basic Effect: +2 Constitution

Bonus Effect: Transforms every time it absorbs a spirit.]

- Huuuuh? +2 Constitution only?

- He worked this hard to only increase his constitution by 2? LMFAOOO

- Buuuuurp… That’s nice!

Seol read through the entirety of the description then looked at the item that was likely related to this item.

[[Blueprint: Multiple Spirit Container Belt]

Quality: Normal

Recommended Level: N/A

Weight: 0.1kg

Bonus Effect: A blueprint with instructions on how to create the completed Multiple Spirit Container Belt.]

The blueprint looked like a rather thin booklet. Seol flipped through a few of its pages.

And then, he saw a message related to it.

[Hidden Adventure 'To the Best of One’s Ability' is now active.]

[Adventure ‘To the Best of One’s Ability’ is scheduled.]

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

‘A forced Linked Adventure?’

It seemed like the blueprint that Seol was holding onto was a secret that forced the Linked Adventure.

Seol looked at the blueprint for another second before putting it into his inventory.

‘It’s fine though since it really didn’t matter what my next Adventure was.’

Since he didn’t want to go around wearing a simple +2 Constitution belt, completing this Linked Adventure was the correct option.

[[Modest Leather Armor]

Quality: Rare

Recommended Level: 10-20

Defense: 33

Durability: 65/65

Weight: 0.5kg

A leather armor you can wear inside of your armor.

It doesn’t have any special effects but it is highly efficient in supporting your defense.

Basic Effect: +7 Constitution

Bonus Effect: No equipment restriction. Could be worn simultaneously with other armor.]

- Summoners can’t wear leather armor though?

- I mean the effect says you can though?

- Still, it’s only a constitution buff…

- Are you guys all blind… It says it could be worn with other armor…

- OMG…

Seol was glad that there was at least something of worth in all of this.

The final reward that was left was the powder that he received.

[[Intact Vitality Powder]

Quality: Treasure

Recommended Level: N/A

Weight: 0.1kg

Bonus Effect: A powder enhanced in vitality. However, you must be cautious as it can grow too much.]

- What is this?

- Where would you use this?

Contrary to his viewers’ questioning responses, Seol was satisfied with it and gave a smile.

‘This is a bigger pull than I expected.’

Seol also knew exactly where and when to use the powder as well.

After confirming his last reward, Seol stood up and wiped himself off.

He then looked at the inoperational golem in front of him. That golem was the researcher who was under the monster’s control until the end.

Seol approached the golem’s input device.

He approached it to free it.

[[The question that popped up on the golem’s input device is this, ‘Who is the first person that I, Griz, desired?’]

1. I, myself, Griz

2. No one

3. Furia, the Wind Dancer

4. Yuran, the Human Merchant

5. Milan

……]

“...What?”

Seol was able to solve all of the questions easily so far without trouble.

And almost as proof of that statement, he had a massive army of golems behind his back.

If everything was the same as before, the answer this time should be Griz as well. He was someone who loved himself above anyone else after all.

However, Seol hesitated on the answer for this question. It was because of what Griz had told him before.

- Do you… Really have to go? I, Griz, think I need you. I don’t think I remember ever desiring something so much.

Seol, in the end, chose Milan, his final piece.

- Ah! You picked the wrong one!

- You idiot! How could you get something so easy wrong?!

- How do you not know this? The answer’s obviously Griz.

Seol’s decision was unexpected like the viewer’s reaction showed.

Still, Seol calmly chose ‘Milan’ as his answer as if he didn’t care about being wrong at all.

Griz was an extreme narcissist. How could the genius of the continent desire someone else other than himself? There was no way that would be the case.

Still, if he was wrong then the only thing that would happen was the golem not moving.

But then…

Click.

The golem started to move.

[You have activated Griam-1.]

[You have rescued a sleeping golem. (20/20)]

[You have rescued all of the researchers within the Remaining Time.]

[You have been given additional rewards.]