Chapter 273
Chapter 273
-----------------------------------------------------------------
>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 273
>Chapter Title: The Thirty-First Piece Overturns the Game Board
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
Pop-!
Pop-!
Hye-myung leaped over a few chunks of spatial debris and landed beside Kang Seol.
Swish...
He plopped down next to him without a word.
Soon, Hye-myung's wild aura began to subside. Having confirmed that Kang Seol was unharmed, his heightened emotions settled calmly.
Kang Seol sensed the change in his aura and spoke.
"You've awakened the power of the golden statue."
"...Yeah."
"That's a good thing."
It had been a slight concern.
That perhaps, due to the altered past, Hye-myung might not reach the same heights as before.
But now, the probability of that happening was extremely low.
'He'll keep advancing using the power of the golden statue.'
And challenge the great ascension.
Such a future awaited him.
As Kang Seol pondered Hye-myung's remaining future, Hye-myung was lost in different thoughts.
He let out a sigh as he gazed at Kang Seol's profile, who was silently staring into the distance.
Had this incident made Hye-myung feel a sense of deprivation and an insurmountable wall?
But Hye-myung wasn't the type to dwell on that.
Right now, he was simply in shock.
They sat in silence for a long while.
"Heyyy!"
Chi-woo flew over the debris, carrying Mia and Seol-hong.
With eyes of their own, they could see that part of the ruins had been devastated by the battle, resulting in the massive monster now lying before them defeated.
"This... is that the pursuer?"
"Yeah."
Seol-hong stared at Grsondae's horrific corpse in bewilderment.
"Kang Seol took down this ghost...? This is... this is..."
Seol-hong instantly recognized what the fallen ghost was.
"Grsondae... right?"
"...Grsondae?"
Hearing Seol-hong, Chi-woo also realized the corpse seemed to be Grsondae, one of the three ghost generals.
"No way... really Grsondae?"
Mia trembled.
"Scary..."
And regardless, something enormous—though not comparable to Grsondae—emerged from Kang Seol's body.
Whirl...
It was Jamad.
- Still, I've got work to do.
"Oh my god... what's that?!"
"Get back!"
The group's urgent reactions followed. Jamad's appearance shocked them that much.
Even Hye-myung backed away from Kang Seol.
- Why the surprise? Your reactions are odd.
Kang Seol chuckled.
Of course they were surprised.
He hadn't told anyone yet.
Pop-!
Jamad hopped over and stopped where Grsondae's main body had been.
[The heart of the evil spirit vibrates.]
[The origin of shadow reacts.]
Whooooosh...
An unidentified, ominous energy gathered around Jamad.
"What the hell is..."
"Brace yourselves! That thing..."
[The heart of the evil spirit fills the origin of shadow.]
[The shadow energy held by the heart of the evil spirit is undefined.]
[Perfectly absorbing the origin of shadow.]
Fizzzzzz...
As Jamad absorbed the origin, Grsondae's massive body disintegrated like dust.
All that remained was Grsondae's skeletal traces.
Crack...
Jamad took only Grsondae's skull from among them.
- A bit small, but not bad.
Crackle...
- Ho... so the soul still lingers?
Jamad sealed Grsondae's soul, formed into a spherical shape, into a grotesque leather pouch. He had stripped it down to the bone.
With Grsondae's corpse disintegrating in midair in an instant, everyone was speechless at the bizarre scene.
Jamad picking up Grsondae's skull.
And the group cautiously backing away from him.
"Th-that guy's..."
"A ghost? No, not ghostly aura..."
Chi-woo's eyes turned to Kang Seol.
"This power... don't tell me that guy's..."
"Why?"
"Is Kang Seol being controlled right now?"
Kang Seol let out a hollow laugh at Chi-woo's imagination.
"Cut it out."
"What? Then what the hell is that thing? How do you explain..."
Kang Seol rubbed his forehead and said,
"I'm actually a summoner."
A fact he had never revealed until now.
- No, I'm actually the summon. Jamad's the master.
- Gotcha, suckers?
- He was a summoner lololol
The group responded with blank expressions.
"Kang Seol, you expect us to believe that?"
"It's ridiculous. You're clearly on equal footing with us..."
- Chi-woo's got no conscience.
- Clinging to that rival position forever?
- You should've been satisfied by now!
- Nah, he'll hold onto it until Hye-myung's around lol
Hye-myung glanced at Seol-hong and Chi-woo and said,
"Judging by your reactions, the rest of the group didn't know either?"
Haa...
"Yeah, it wasn't that I was hiding it, but circumstances and all."
Chi-woo still didn't approach Kang Seol.
"I still can't believe it... you with that monst, monste..."
Zap...
Jamad's fiery gaze landed on Chi-woo.
"Anyway, that guy's got some mental... whatever! You being a summoner makes no sense!"
Right then.
Whoooosh...
Whirl-!
Black power unfurled from Kang Seol's grasp. Simultaneously, a knight in dark armor appeared.
It was Karuna.
Rumble...
With Karuna emanating his own unique aura just like Jamad, denial was no longer possible.
Chi-woo scratched his temple for a moment before changing his tune.
"This... makes sense? It's real? Seol-hong, you knew?"
Seol-hong shook her head.
She furrowed her brows as she looked at Kang Seol.
"Why hide it?"
"I never hid it. There was no reason to tell, nor the situation for it."
"I see. And now?"
"Now there's reason, and the situation calls for it."
Seol-hong reluctantly nodded.
It wasn't some massive secret, nor hidden to harm Seol-hong specifically.
Still, human pettiness was inevitable.
At that moment, Jamad stroked his chin and spoke.
- Does my existence discomfort you humans so much?
"Of course!"
"Naturally!"
Chi-woo and Seol-hong answered first.
- What a shame. I'm one of Kang Seol's most useful allies. To think you'd find me uncomfortable...
In truth, Chi-woo and Seol-hong could tell from Jamad's aura alone.
This immense power.
Clearly, this one had joined to take down the pursuer.
Jamad was a monster.
A monster whose power was hard to gauge.
With that judgment made, Chi-woo stepped forward boldly and extended his hand.
"I'm Chi-woo. If you're helping Kang Seol, that's fine. Let's get along from now on..."
- The true opportunist of this era, Chi-woo!
- Impressive survival skills.
- Lang tribe's social prowess is top-notch.
"Hmm..."
Jamad extended one finger, and Chi-woo grabbed and shook it.
- I'm Jamad.
Rustle-!
Pitiful used its tail to shake their joined hands up and down.
【That's right, get along! Get along! Pitiful's watching.】
Pitiful said that and perched on Jamad's shoulder, far broader than Kang Seol's.
"...Kang Seol."
Seol-hong and Kang Seol's eyes met.
Seol-hong didn't know everything about Kang Seol, but she thought she had a decent grasp.
Yet this incident left her questioning if she truly understood him.
Kang Seol said to the group,
"First, let's fall back to a safe spot."
"Right. If Grsondae's minions show up, it'll be a hassle."
Having slain the strongest pursuer, the anxiety gripping the group was gone.
"So, can we sleep now?"
"Yeah, Mia. You must be exhausted."
"Yeah... but everyone's tired."
"......"
Hye-myung stroked Mia's head.
None of them had rested properly, so they could savor this sense of liberation now.
* * *
Crackle...
Pop...
A warm bed.
And with Kang Seol having fended off any foreboding pursuit, deep sleep came pouring in.
Even Hye-myung, always on edge, fell asleep.
In such times, Kang Seol—with his superhuman stamina—stood watch alone.
And spent his alone time in his own way.
Creak...
[Checking evil spirit's belongings.]
[Level up.]
[Level up.]
[Acquired ability points.]
[Acquired ability points.]
[Albuja's special ability activates.]
[Acquired additional ability points.]
[Acquired additional ability points.]
[Cunning Blood Snake activates.]
[Acquired additional ability points.]
[Acquired additional ability points.]
[I Am That One's special ability activates.]
[Acquired additional ability points.]
[Acquired additional ability points.]
[Acquired additional ability points.]
[Acquired Pedantic Theory Skillbook.]
[Acquired Inexplicable Double-Edged Axe.]
[Acquired Unusual Parchment Fragment.]
[Acquired Subjugation.]
[Acquired 41 platinum coins (kan).]
...
Rewards from defeating Grsondae.
Equipment poured out from the evil spirit's belongings.
'First, check Jamad's status.'
Kang Seol opened Jamad's status window as usual to review his info.
[Jamad of Myriad Forms belongs to the Emptiness.]
[No authority.]
[Transferring authority over Jamad of Myriad Forms.]
[Transfer will take time.]
"Damn it..."
- Straight to cursing lololol
- Got screwed by Emptiness again?
- Just hearing Emptiness makes me Pavlov's dog with the swears!
Nothing to be done about it now.
He'd have to check his abilities after some time.
Then, Karen's voice came.
- I wanna cross over too...
- No can do. Jamad alone has maxed Kang Seol's capacity.
- Master's useless!
Karen and Ur were having a conversation that would sadden listeners.
'Sure enough... the shadow space is full with just Jamad.'
Like stuffing a massive being into his everyday backpack.
Adding more would prevent it from closing.
- Still, this is something I can handle on my end.
Kang Seol perked up at Ur's words.
'Really? How?'
- Since you can't expand the shadow space at your absurd growth rate, I'll just shrink my size.
In other words, compress the capacity.
'Is that possible?'
- Yes, given time. Once done, all four of us might fit. Though not sure if efficient.
'All four crossing over might be inefficient?'
- You've felt it this time, but Emptiness is paradise for challengers. Gain real combat experience and power at abnormal speeds. Shame you can't come directly. Would've spared these worries.
Jamad's growth was truly bizarre.
Just a short separation, and he broke through immortality's wall. Teamed with Kang Seol, but took down Grsondae without much struggle.
Even so, no such growth comes free.
'Won't Emptiness's power run dry someday?'
- Who knows... Would the one who made this absurd space design it so sloppily?
Well, yeah.
Kang Seol smiled wryly at the thought. Precisely, the Immortal conceived and created it, so having his name tiny at the end of the credits was fortunate.
- Emptiness is still growing. From what I grasp, even I can't handle some of the beasts slumbering here now.
Kang Seol jumped.
Beasts current Ur couldn't handle.
'Really? Possible?'
- Hard to believe, but true. That's why opening the door was such a chore. Not because you're lacking. Emptiness is unpredictable territory.
Somehow, Ur's assurance that it wasn't due to his shortcomings comforted Kang Seol greatly.
'Well, opening that massive door isn't easy.'
- Anyway, conclusion... Karuna, return here.
'...What?'
How did it come to that?
'Send Karuna back?'
- Yes. With Jamad crossed over, no reason for Karuna to stay awhile.
Kang Seol awaited Karuna's silent response to Ur's words.
'...True enough.'
Karuna had certainly helped.
But compared to immortal Jamad, shortcomings were felt.
Karuna must realize it too.
- I'll return.
'Karuna?'
Karuna replied.
- Jamad is rough but trustworthy. I'll trust him and head to Emptiness.
- Hurry, Karuna! Bored!
Karen's slacker remark broke the mood.
- Anyway, we're busy here too, so handle things yourselves. Jamad'll manage.
Conversation ended.
The difference now: able to converse anytime, separated yet as good as together.
[Moonlight Knight Karuna returns to Emptiness.]
[Cannot summon Moonlight Knight Karuna.]
With Karuna gone too, Kang Seol was left with just Jamad.
He moved to check the newly acquired gear. Even the list looked extraordinary.
'Wait... come to think of it...'
Previously, when defeating Eoduksini, his soul hid in the reward chest.
'And Grsondae's soul...'
Recalling Jamad had taken it separately, Kang Seol asked him.
'Jamad, Grsondae's soul? Earlier...'
- This one?
Creeeeak...
Pitiful gaped its mouth wide and swallowed the quivering soul.
"......"
【Yummy! A real delicacy! Energizing! Thanks, Jamad!】
- Heh heh heh...
Kang Seol briefly lamented why reward distribution bypassed him, the master, but since it'd go to Pitiful anyway absent special use, he settled for a short sigh.
"So, how is it?"
Gulp...
【What? Oh, delicious!】
"No... not the taste."
【Uh... well... something's... popping up...】
"Popping up?"
【Yeah! It was like that before! Memories... uh...?】
Pitiful's eyes widened.
"What's wrong? Problem?"
【Weird?】
Frustrated by Pitiful's reaction, Kang Seol waited.
Soon, Pitiful said something strange.
【Hey, it wasn't after that bell?】
"...What?"
Until now, Kang Seol's group thought Grsondae pursued them fiercely to seize Watara's power.
Grsondae himself had said as much.
"So... Grsondae wasn't after the Wilderness Spirit? Then..."
Hummm...
The golden statue in Hye-myung's arms trembled.
"Urgh..."
Startled awake, Hye-myung pulled out the golden statue.
A voice flowed from it.
- Obtain Watara's legacy.
"No way..."
Watara left more than just the Wilderness Spirit.
Rumble rumble...
The ruins shook, reshaping themselves.
"What's happening?!"
"Eek!"
Before them, a new path appeared.
Something even past Hye-myung hadn't obtained awaited beyond this path.