Chapter 277
Chapter 277
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 277
>Chapter Title: The 31st Piece Overturns the Game Board
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 277
Crackle-!
The crack in the seed spread throughout the entire seed in an instant.
The golden energy grew even denser.
Whooooom...
Everyone except Mia shielded their eyes from the spreading light with their palms.
Craaaack!
Sssss...
Along with a mystical mist, something dormant inside the seed awakened.
Kang Seol was the first to confirm its presence, and everyone there couldn't help but be taken aback by its appearance.
[An integrated clone is born.]
[The integrated clone is a mirror-like existence that obeys its master.]
A nude figure knelt with its head bowed.
Kang Seol cautiously approached the figure radiating brilliant light.
Swish...
"Kang Seol! Isn't that dangerous?"
Chiwoo tried to stop him, but Kang Seol waved it off, signaling that it was fine.
Kang Seol gently lifted the figure's head.
"......"
Eyes.
The figure's eyes were identical to Kang Seol's.
In that moment, Kang Seol realized.
'This... is connected to me.'
He didn't know how he understood it right away, but the knowledge of how to control and utilize this integrated clone flooded his mind.
The clone's mouth opened.
"It's amazing..."
"It... spoke..."
"It spoke..."
Everyone jumped in surprise at the clone speaking and looked at Kang Seol.
Kang Seol shrugged.
"I'm the one speaking right now."
Ssss...
From the Void, Ur watched the scene in admiration of the integrated clone's principle.
- Oh... Impressive. An independent entity that resonates with its master—does it have a sense of self?
'It seems to have one, but the energy is faint.'
- If it has a sense of self, that's dangerous enough on its own. It could rebel against its master at any time.
'But I don't think there's much to worry about.'
- Why not?
'The sense of self is faint, but its awareness is firmly imprinted.'
Ur was surprised.
- You mean it understands and accepts its own position?
'Yeah, that's how it seems.'
- I see... Now I get it.
'What?'
- Why it took so much time. Creating a being identical to oneself is difficult, but not this long. A clone that is absolutely loyal and can think for itself must go through this process. Interesting.
Swish...
As Kang Seol stood up, the clone stood as well.
After a few more tests, Kang Seol was convinced that this clone would be incredibly useful going forward.
Ruuuumble...
When Kang Seol extended his hand, black energy began enveloping the golden clone.
Whirl-!
Whirrrl-!
[The integrated clone assimilates with its master.]
"My god..."
"That's... Kang Seol?"
The integrated clone looked exactly like the Kang Seol standing before them. Even Seolhong and Chiwoo nearby were confused by how identical it was—others wouldn't be able to tell them apart.
- Master... that guy's... a fake...
- I'm... the real one...
Kang Seol poked the clone's body, checked some areas of its skin, and then absorbed it.
Whirrrl-!
Ssss...
Kang Seol's integrated clone was sucked into the shadows.
- Lifespan?
'Doesn't seem to have one.'
- What if it takes damage? Does it affect you?
'I can sense it, but no damage seems to transfer. The clone can disperse temporarily, but as long as I'm alive supplying mana, it can regenerate indefinitely.'
- Perfect! That creepy Watara or whatever gave you a huge gift.
Kang Seol looked at his hand for a moment and smirked. He hadn't even started using it yet, but he was certain this ability would be a great help in the future.
* * *
Thus, the promise transcending time was kept.
After chatting happily for a while, Kang Seol's group prepared to part ways.
Mia, seeing them off, was smiling.
"Mia, what are your plans from now on?"
"I'll stay here and paint. And... wait for Hyemyung."
"......"
"Don't think it's foolish. Hyemyung said he'd come back someday."
"Then he'll return someday."
The wandering Mia was gone.
'She's changed a lot.'
Kang Seol hadn't expected to grow this attached to her.
He left her with final words.
"I hope you find peace, Mia."
"...Thanks to you, Kang Seol. I'm happy now. I hope you find rest someday too."
Kang Seol's group departed.
The urgent matters were resolved; now it was time to handle the minor issues.
First, what changes had the contact with Hyemyung brought to Seolhong and Chiwoo.
When Kang Seol asked, they tilted their heads.
"No major changes right away, huh."
Seolhong's hair had only partially changed.
She had no idea what had shifted.
"I..."
Chiwoo hesitated in answering.
"Too much has changed; I don't know where to start. What Hyemyung left me feels so vivid. How did I not know about this?"
It wasn't that he hadn't known.
Hyemyung had said it would awaken after he thought of him, so that's probably what happened.
Chiwoo's aura was markedly different from before.
'...Thanks for the help, Hyemyung.'
If Hyemyung had found Kang Seol, he probably would have helped him greatly too.
As Kang Seol thought this, Ur spoke up.
- You should visit the city soon.
'City?'
- Yeah, the ability tree.
He had accumulated a ton of ability points, so he could do something with them. Plus, with the integrated clone, there was room to experiment.
'Come to think of it... we kept moving for the dragon strife.'
All attention had been on Seolhong's dragon strife, pushing back other matters.
'But with the wilderness command recovered, we should be fine for a while.'
However, that was just Kang Seol's hope—it hadn't come true.
He learned the truth through the recorders who appeared hours later.
- Death Flower, Seolhong.
"...Yes."
- Do you have no explanation for your disappearance?
It was that Seolhong, Chiwoo, and her dragon stone Kang Seol had been missing for days.
After vanishing into Mia's painting, reality had shifted slightly, and this was the aftermath of that altered reality.
'...Missing? The recorders lost track of us!'
They couldn't have followed into the painting's past, and tracking Seolhong in the changed present would have been hard.
"That's..."
Seolhong and Kang Seol exchanged glances.
They didn't feel the need to explain in detail, so a vague excuse would suffice.
Seolhong gave the recorders a suitable explanation.
She said they'd been caught in an accident while challenging a trial and temporarily left their position. The recorders didn't fully buy it, but they couldn't verify it rigorously.
Besides, they seemed to have other urgent matters.
- Dragon Flower, the next trial has been decided.
"What do you mean...? Wasn't this trial one the Dragon Flower could choose herself for a while?"
- Indeed it was. But with the urgent situation and your loss of contact, the change wasn't conveyed to you. The Kan Empire is currently suffering from rebels.
'What the hell?'
Kang Seol's eyes widened as he looked at Seolhong and Chiwoo, but they seemed clueless too.
"Rebels... Who would defy the Dragon Emperor...?"
- Demons.
"...Pardon?"
- Magical beasts and ghosts are rising up, plunging the entire Kan into great peril. The Dragon Emperor has mobilized the military to extend aid across the continent, but it's not easy. That means the demons' uprising is organized and massive.
"No way..."
- Thus, we convey the Dragon Emperor's will to all Dragon Flowers: prepare!
"Yes!"
Thud...
Seolhong immediately knelt and bowed her head.
Chiwoo and Kang Seol followed her lead.
- Another trial has come to Kan. We command the Dragon Flowers.
"......"
- Care for the people.
"We shall obey."
- Raise your heads. This is the entirety of the Dragon Emperor's solemn words. Accordingly, the Dragon Flowers will be dispatched to where they are needed.
Once the Dragon Emperor's words ended, the messengers were just officials. Chiwoo shot to his feet like he was having a fit.
"Recorder!"
- ...Chiwoo, is it.
"What about the trial? We just finished a trial..."
- For the time being, no actions will be taken regarding the previous trial. It will resume after the situation calms. Even if overcome, reports will be postponed.
"That's... Can't you just accept ours? We just..."
- Impossible.
"Chiwoo..."
"Tch... Then this trial? No, this counts as a trial too, right?"
Even the order to care for the people—was that part of the trial? That's what Chiwoo was asking.
- Indeed. But this trial's evaluation is multifaceted, so approach it with full dedication.
"...Dispatch locations differ by ranking too?"
If locations varied by rank, higher ranks would get riskier but more advantageous areas for evaluation. That could create gaps before starting.
Chiwoo was pointing that out.
- Yes.
"Damn it..."
If the recorders at least accepted the wilderness command, their rank would skyrocket, potentially getting a better dispatch. Unfortunately, things had changed during the blackout.
Seolhong had been 50th before this trial, so she'd likely go to a 50th-ranked area.
Chiwoo was dissatisfied.
All that effort creating a nonexistent wilderness command felt wasted without immediate reward.
But Seolhong thought differently.
"Chiwoo, the criteria are multifaceted. Don't be too disheartened."
"This is your matter, how can you..."
"It's about the nation saving its people. Evaluation shouldn't come first."
The recorder spoke.
- Righteous intent. Then, you head to Songjo immediately.
"What exactly do we do there?"
- There, you will...
* * *
(New) [Post by 'Songjo Native']
[Posted: Just now]
[Title: Songjo-born local here]
Wonder who our Dragon Flower will be?
She absolutely has to be a beauty lolwww
- Can a transferree be a local? Or did you mean 'oi-so-bak-i' or something?(lol)
- Japanese?
- Russian, did I just get treated like Japanese?
- Oof...
(New) [Post by 'SongjoIsDoomed']
[Posted: Just now]
[Title: Escape Songjo, no hope.]
Exactly as it says.
Magical beasts overrun, no real countermeasures.
Shuttered workshops and abandoned farmlands piling up... Anyway, everyone's leaving to survive.
- Eh? You...
- I'm staying. Songjo... is my hometown...
- Don't-!! You have to come with-!!
- ...Who are you?
- The Russian from earlier. Am I Songjo's likeability nick? lolwww
(New) [Post by 'FuturePredictor']
[Posted: Just now]
[Title: Oh... Ooooooh!]
Pitch black!
Can't see a thing! Songjo's done for!
- Kan's huge, huh? With so few Dragon Flowers, they won't send one to Songjo?
- Vigilantes and dispatch troops are hitting limits soon...
- Related adventures only once or twice? This severe? Block waves here forever?
- But why would a transferree defend the city? Just run?
- Agree
- Don't go~ Without you Songjo falls ㅠㅠ
(New) [Post by 'UseConnections']
[Posted: Just now]
[Title: Anyone connected to Dragon Palace?]
Get us a decent Dragon Flower ㅠㅠ And troops when coming...
- Dragon Palace is hardest for transferrees to infiltrate lololol
- Some Dragon Flowers are transferrees?
- Their dragon stones probably.
- Ah lol
- Still, they're just cleanup for Dragon Flowers, what power? ;;
Songjo, a city in Kan.
Backed by large mountains, poor access kept it underdeveloped. Nearby mountains still crawling with bandits who frequently raided trade routes.
But recently, all those bandits and thieves were wiped out.
They could even evade Kan's troops.
However, unprecedented magical beast breeding in the mountains, plus ghosts crossing borders, caught them unprepared, and they were swept away.
Magical beasts and ghosts soon eyed the city.
A first major magical beast air raid followed. Vigilantes, plus central troops dispatched for Kan-wide incidents, barely repelled it.
But damage was immense.
Confirming the beasts' power, mass transferree exodus created troop gaps.
Result: abandoning peripheral facilities one by one.
Now, the city's survival truly hung in balance.
(New) [Post by 'Waaahhh']
[Posted: Just now]
[Title: She's here! We got a Dragon Flower tooooo!]
Ooooooh! No need to leave! Thank god ㅠㅠ
- Who's coming?
- Who?
- Who is it?
- Seolhong. The shorty.
- Ah.
- Damn;
- Who's that?
- No idea; just followed the lamenting crowd lol
(New) [Post by 'SeolhongFanClub']
[Posted: Just now]
[Title: It's Seolhong! Seolhong's here!]
Insane best! Seolhongnimㅠ Take me!
- Why Seolhong tho?
- Heard of Sodong Mine?
- There? The dark something?
- Yeah, the Dragon Flower who rescued the miners.
- Whoa, that's Seolhong? And she's in Songjo now?
- Yeah lololol
- But never heard she's strong?
- Counts if riding a golem.
- Grandma next door counts riding a golem?
- If she rides and still doesn't count, that's a problem too?
- No golem in Songjo ㅠㅠ
Creeeak...
The carriage door opened.
Snap...
Snap-!
Soldiers lined up around the carriage saluted in unison following their commander's lead.
"Chung!"
"Loyal!"
Seolhong descended, looking a bit awkward. The soldiers couldn't hide their disappointment at her appearance.
Nothing particularly special about her.
"Damn... Knew it'd be like this."
"Quiet... She can hear."
The soldiers muttered in dissatisfaction.
And.
Creeeak......
Two more people stepped out of the carriage.
"...Huh?"
They were Kang Seol and Chiwoo.