Chapter 311
Chapter 311
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 311
>Chapter Title: The 31st Horse Overturns the Game Board
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Lament clung to Kang Seol, vigilantly scanning the surroundings.
It was because figures who hadn’t been there when he lost consciousness were now positioned all around.
“Speak! It’s speaking, isn’t it? For real?”
Baek Kyung gaped in awe, her eyes sparkling with admiration as she stared at Lament.
“Ah… but… that demon spirit ate the Dohyang!”
Kang Seol finally took in his surroundings.
‘…Dohyang is gone.’
Dohyang was precious in and of itself. No wonder even the幻獸人 Baek Kyung treasured it so dearly.
Yet that Dohyang had been absorbed into his body the instant Lament awakened.
Baek Kyung muttered dazedly.
“Dohyang… it ate it… devoured it completely….”
Kang Seol hurriedly examined Lament’s status.
[Sacred Relic: Lament]
Rank: Sacred Relic
Appropriate Level: 40–50
Attack Power: 150–150
Durability: 300/300
Weight: 1.0kg
A treasure transformed by the will of its inheritor from an ancient holy pearl. In the inheritance process, the cost of magical enchantment granted it the bizarre ability to effectively wield the demon spirit—a condensate of mana—with minimal repulsion.
After one instance of growth, it devoured a great deal of something.
Basic Abilities: All stats +40 (+8)
Special Abilities: Tuner (Singularity), Myriad Forms (Unique) effect, Bloodline Harmony (Unique) effect. Treated as both abomination and holy relic; only one Sacred Relic may be equipped at a time. Durability slowly recovers so long as the demon spirit does not perish. Ghost—Eoduksini’s Blade (Unique) effect, Ghost—Geosundae’s Iron Wall (Unique) effect, Dohyang (Unique) effect.
[Dohyang (Unique)]
- Greatly nullifies the effects of impure weapons. Basic abilities rise by 20% of their original values.
‘It devoured Dohyang whole.’
The lack of a major stat boost was regrettable, but he knew full well how absurd it was to absorb the effect itself—and he was satisfied with this much.
‘Lament was originally a magic sword, after all.’
That aspect felt similar to the Yaksha, in a way.
“In that case, cling to me too!”
【Lament doesn’t know you! Go away!】
“Eee… be, be good….”
【Lament is bad!】
“…….”
Dejected at not being loved, Baek Kyung’s shoulders slumped. Doksini smiled as he asked Lament.
“Hey, demon spirit. You made contact with the Yaksha, right?”
【Yaksha? That’s the Yaksha?】
“Yeah, the killer ghost in that sloppy mask.”
【Yeah! Saw it! That was the guy!】
“Recall the moment you collided with it.”
Lament brought a hand near its mouth and pondered for a moment.
【Boom!】
“And then?”
【Quiet….】
“…And then?”
【Lament only woke up a little while ago. So I don’t know the details.】
“Even so, tell it as precisely as you can.”
【Lament was born on a battlefield. Opened my eyes, and there it was again.】
Doksini and the slumped Baek Kyung listened intently. The birth of a demon spirit was always a fascinating topic.
“How did that place feel to you?”
【Uh… hated it! Stank and was scary.】
“Heh heh… A demon spirit saying such things. Must take after its owner—you’re an amusing one.”
【It was there.】
“…The Yaksha?”
【Yeah, the Yaksha.】
Doksini’s eyes sharpened.
“That may be the Yaksha’s true nature. Had it removed its mask?”
【No, it hadn’t?】
Whew…
Doksini smacked his lips in disappointment before asking again.
“What did you sense from it?”
【Pain!】
“Pain?”
【Yeah! Something pouring out in droves, begging to be saved.】
Doksini explained to those around them.
“The Yaksha is an extremely ancient artifact. It’s survived to this day by passing from owner to owner. Could it be that it never released the souls of its previous masters….”
After some deep thought, Lament added one more line.
【The Yaksha too.】
“Hm?”
【The Yaksha begged to be saved too.】
“…….”
Kang Seol’s face froze in shock at those words.
* * *
Pababak!
“Haaaap!”
“Urk….”
After Lament awakened, everyone set about their preparations. Baek Kyung passed on her vigilance-grasping technique to Jamad, while Chiu and Seolhong needed their skills verified by Doksini.
Jinryeo was excluded from the battle against the Yaksha.
Her unpredictability had proven useful enough, but it was decided she shouldn’t face a great demon in combat.
Several days had already passed since their arrival at the dragon’s abode.
Preparations were nearly complete.
The dragon seemed delighted by how lively its abode had become, constantly in high spirits. Yet it gave no specific orders or assistance.
As if merely spectating a fire across the river.
Acting as if it were none of its concern.
This gave Kang Seol some time as well.
With time for its master Kang Seol, his familiar Karen naturally had time too.
Kang Seol had been separated from her for quite some time.
Even his memory of their last meeting was hazy.
In truth, she had finished her preparations long ago.
Going back in time, it wouldn’t have been awkward if she’d come instead of Jamad—and there had been multiple opportunities since.
And yet, she had chosen to remain in the void.
Why?
“I don’t know, you say….”
“What?”
Karen spoke first.
“I figured I’d understand by now. Thought things would be different when we met again. Hm….”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Hmm…….”
Karen sat down like a grizzled veteran and confessed bluntly.
“Feels like this body of mine’s hit a wall right now.”
Imitating some middle-aged man.
The only noteworthy middle-aged figure Karen knew was Lein, so it was safe to assume she was mimicking him.
“A wall? You mean a realm bottleneck?”
Kang Seol was surprised because Karen had already reached the brink of Immortality. Hitting a realm wall meant she had already run as far as she could.
Right now, she was searching for the next step.
“Yeah. Stuck in the void for ages. My strength surged explosively at first, but then it felt like I was veering sideways instead of forward. Feels similar to the wall Lein described….”
“What does Ur say about your current state?”
“Patience and you’ll achieve it… but I disagree. Feels like I could reach the next stage sooner…. That’s why I came out here.”
Karen smiled at Kang Seol.
“To see you.”
She must have thought merging with Kang Seol could be the key to her next step.
“It wasn’t, huh.”
“Yeah, wasn’t it. My power grew, but it’s not truly mine. Veered sideways again. Troubling~ No clue….”
When one’s realm stalled, they typically sought a path to the next stage.
Kang Seol considered several options before voicing the quickest way to reach it.
As expected, there was only one method.
“Nothing for it but to clash with a worthy foe.”
“As expected, great minds. I was waiting for you to say it.”
“None in the void?”
“Nah, some Azlan or whatever wreaked havoc and left, so Ur’s tied up there for a while. Once things are maintained, there’ll be worthy opponents… but right now, it’s a lull.”
“Mm….”
“By the way, Karuna’s in a similar spot.”
“Karuna?”
“Yeah! Fast, right?”
Perhaps a synergy from bringing external experience into the void. That thought had occurred to him upon hearing Karuna had entered Immortality.
“Wish we could all gather like old times.”
“We will.”
“Erm… that day’s coming soon?”
“Not long now.”
“Kahaha! Still, the outside air hits different. Feels… good.”
Karen stretched languidly.
Kang Seol shot her a side-eye.
An Immortality pinnacle knight.
Karen.
Excluding the freakish monsters, opponents would be hard to come by.
“Feeling uneasy?”
Karen spoke up.
“Uneasy, are you?”
“Yeah. Scared you’ll lose to the Yaksha or whatever.”
“A bit more complicated than that.”
He was uneasy.
Everyone Kang Seol had to face to advance forward were monster-like freaks.
‘Probably….’
The Yaksha was stronger than Karen.
That could well be the root of his anxiety.
“You think I’ll lose?”
“No, not that.”
Kang Seol nodded.
“We’ll win. Like always.”
“Kahaha! Couldn’t agree more.”
As Kang Seol and Karen chatted, Seolhong approached. Kang Seol rose to greet her.
Swish…
“Training over?”
“The sorcery transmission just wrapped up.”
“Then… it’s time to go.”
All matters in Socheon were concluded.
Now it was time to hunt the Yaksha.
Having fallen behind, their pursuit would be all the fiercer.
* * *
The day of departure arrived.
Commotion stirred in Socheon, the dragon’s abode.
“Aya… don’t yank it, Mu Na.”
“Doksini! What are you doing to Master!”
“Thought it over, and I haven’t done a damn thing, you old coot!”
The group didn’t stop her.
- Lol, blabbermouth master for real ㅋㅋㅋ
- Haha! All laughs, no helping!
- Baek Kyung’s the real boss anyway…
“Hahaha… don’t torment this old one.”
“Give us something at least!”
“I was planning to.”
“…Huh?”
Baek Kyung faltered at the dragon’s words.
“Master! Meddling in mortal affairs so casually….”
“It’s fine. What I bestow isn’t material.”
Strange words.
Then what was it giving?
“You possess an item stolen from the past.”
The dragon slyly cracked one eye.
That eye gleamed with eerie intensity.
An item from the past.
‘Wilderness Spirit!’
No one but Kang Seol’s group could easily know of Hye-myeong and Mi-ah’s tale. Yet the dragon knew even that.
The group exchanged glances.
Especially wary of Kang Seol’s reaction.
The Wilderness Spirit was currently in Kang Seol’s possession.
Kang Seol pulled it out without hiding.
He opened his palm to reveal it.
The Wilderness Spirit lay there.
“I won’t conceal it.”
“Haha… then this bell….”
Jingle…
The Wilderness Spirit shifted from Kang Seol’s hand to somewhere else.
“To here.”
None other than Seolhong’s hand.
“Gauge the timing well. It must be in your grasp when the moment comes.”
“Ma-Master!”
Rustle…
The group gasped.
The dragon’s beard and hair grew explosively in an instant.
So lush he seemed buried in it.
Resembling a furred beast, the dragon sliced away the messy strands with a hand chop.
It was neatly groomed now, though far lusher than before.
Seolhong asked the dragon.
“What have you given this girl?”
“Hahaha… The time for salmon to swim upstream.”
A riddle.
The dragon spouted cryptic words.
The dragon turned to Jinryeo.
“Slept the day away.”
“Ah… how did you….”
- Shameless Jinryeo!
- Just bail already!
“Seems indifferent, but I know you possess courage.”
“…Pardon?”
“There will come a moment when you must do what only you can.”
“…….”
“Begone.”
Even to Jinryeo, the dragon offered counsel.
Once more in riddle form.
A riddle solvable only by one who knew the future.
Now only their departure from Socheon remained.
Unlike their arrival, however, their numbers had dwindled.
Kang Seol eyed Hamin, standing beside Baek Kyung.
Smi-i-le…
Hamin smiled.
“We’ll meet again someday.”
“I hope so.”
That was the end.
Flutter…
Craaaackle…
With a wave of the dragon’s hand, Kang Seol’s group vanished from Socheon.
Baek Kyung clapped her palms and hoisted Hamin onto her back.
“Alright then, Master… we’ll be off too.”
“…Go on.”
“Take care.”
Craaaackle!
Baek Kyung transformed into a massive whale and soared into the sky.
They too departed.
Step…
Step…
Someone announced their presence to the dragon, now alone.
“Haa… haa….”
Someone who reached the summit, gasping for breath.
“…You’ve come.”
“Yes. Even now, summiting wears me out no matter when. Thought my stamina had improved.”
“Hahaha….”
“But Master… your hair….”
The visitor was Shinyo.
She had just missed crossing paths with Seolhong and Kang Seol by a hair.
“Such things transpired.”
“…Master, someone was here.”
“You didn’t sense the wonder?”
“No, this isn’t that one’s fragrance.”
“…Fragrance?”
Shinyo cocked her head as she spoke.
“There’s a fragrance here.”
“…What fragrance?”
Shinyo’s face grew serene.
Even she, so lacking in emotional expression, wore a faint smile.
“A nostalgic fragrance.”
“Hahaha… Yo-ah.”
“Yes. Master.”
“Return.”
“…Pardon?”
“I know why you’ve come.”
“Master, but how….”
The dragon smiled as it spoke.
“Yo-ah, you will meet the one you long for once more.”
Shinyo furrowed her brow in confusion for a moment before her expression hardened.
“My goodness….”
Shinyo staggered as she murmured.
“Alive… he was?”