Chapter 330
Chapter 330
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 330
>Chapter Title: The 31st Piece Overturns the Game Board
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[Ancient Glacier Sorcery: Using Midwinter.]
[The amount of perennial snow gained through the ability increases.]
A chilling wind blew.
“How is that guy…!”
“A human using the power of the spirits!”
When Night Crow used the ancient glacier sorcery, everyone except Bron was shocked.
“What is this? How does that guy….”
Bron gave an awkward smile at Skola’s question.
“There were all sorts of things. Anyway….”
[Ancient Glacier Sorcery: Using Perennial Snow.]
[Perennial snow accumulates every time glacier sorcery is used.]
Whiiiii…
“He really is just like Branca.”
Chrrrrk…
“Urk….”
Crom let go of the chains he had wrapped around.
If he had delayed even a little, the sorcery power would have backlashed, and he might have been consumed by the erosion instead.
“Don’t get cocky!”
Chrrrrrk…
More chains appeared.
[Crom uses Sorcery Erosion.]
[Seals the sorcery of the connected target.]
Crom quickly swung his staff, shooting the chains toward Night Crow.
Paaaak!
Paaaaak!
Chrrk…
Night Crow easily deflected the chains.
Whirrrlic—!
But he couldn’t deflect them all.
“Hehehe! Gotcha!”
Crom thought Kang Seol was in crisis, but that wasn’t the case.
‘Before clashing with Lizard, I need to probe a bit more.’
If the power Crom was wielding now was Lizard’s authority, understanding it better would be a huge help in the fight against Lizard.
That was why Kang Seol deliberately let one arm get caught in the chains to buy time.
- Hmm… Is this Lizard’s power?
‘Seems like he can use glacier power too.’
- Same thought. If it’s Lizard, even Branca’s power would be sealed.
If the one he was facing now had been Lizard instead of the inferior Crom, he might not have been able to use any sorcery at all.
Kik…
Kikik…
“Die!”
Ice spikes targeted Night Crow and flew at him.
Kwajajajak—!
At that moment, an ice wall formed in front of Kang Seol, blocking the spikes’ penetration.
“Tch….”
Kang Seol could still use Branca’s sorcery. It was possible to subdue Crom with this power.
‘But I can’t do that. I need to dig up more info.’
So even though he could easily overpower his opponent, he groaned and maneuvered his sorcery power.
Kik…
Kikikik…
‘Hm?’
- …I get the gist.
In the midst of it, Jamad sent good news.
- This is where the secured origins really help.
‘What are you talking about?’
- Rotation, Kang Seol. Rotate them before they freeze.
‘…….’
- …I’ll do it directly.
Kik…
Kikikikik…
Jamad perceived the existence of the origins more clearly than Kang Seol. That was why he could cope with the erosion more adeptly.
Swoooo…
Suddenly, origin power spread through every corner of his body, as if blocked meridians had cleared.
A tingling sensation came, like blood flowing through a numb body.
‘So that’s it.’
- Definitely, this is a power that devours sorcerers.
The power of the primordial god that left sorcerers helpless and defeated. If he hadn’t experienced erosion beforehand in the fight with Crom, he might have been utterly defenseless against Lizard.
“Stop! End the fight!”
Zakcha shouted, sensing something off, but no one responded. Especially Bram, who watched the fight with a grave expression.
‘It can’t end yet.’
“Keeik! How about this too….”
Whiiiii…
When Kang Seol saw Crom trying to pull a trick with the crystal orb, he could no longer hold back and charged at him.
Paaaaang—!
‘…Huh? Was it always this fast….’
Then, an unexpected situation occurred.
He reached right in front of Crom at a speed far faster than anticipated.
“Kiiik!”
Night Crow’s fist flew right up to Crom’s face.
‘This is bad!’
It was so fast even Kang Seol was startled. Seeing Zakcha lunging toward him, he quickly pulled back his power.
And instead, he acted to achieve his original goal.
[Temperament: Shadow Theft activates.]
Sring—!
Kaaaaaaaang—!
Kik…
Kikikikik…
By then, Grand General Zakcha had drawn his sword and blocked in front of Crom.
“I told you to stop….”
“Ah, right. I wasn’t planning to kill him.”
Kang Seol nonchalantly retreated far back.
‘Jamad, you felt that just now too, right?’
- Yeah, who knew this was possible.
Rotation of the origins.
That was clearly what enabled this unusual movement.
An itchy, ticklish feeling.
He had felt this sensation once before.
‘No way….’
It was just like the ticklish feeling when Karen had surpassed the wall against the Yaksha.
‘Yeah… maybe.’
This could be the key to the next step.
While Kang Seol organized his enlightenment, Zakcha turned back to Bram.
“Bram, this method isn’t appropriate.”
“…….”
“Bram!”
When Bram ignored Zakcha’s words and he shouted again, he approached.
Thud…
Thud…
“Yeah… find something appropriate… what could there be?”
Thud…
Kuuuung…
Bram’s size was incomparably massive compared to Zakcha’s.
“Hm? Speak.”
“…Are you sane?”
“Kukuku… Sane?”
Paaak!
Bram grabbed Zakcha by the collar and lifted him.
Even with his feet off the ground, Zakcha kept a calm expression.
“Do I, Bram, ever look sane?”
“…Negotiations are broken. To spurn Lord Lizard’s grace. You will regret this.”
“I look forward to it.”
Paak…
Zakcha shook off Bram’s hand, his cape fluttering as he retreated.
“We’re leaving!”
“Kiiik!”
“Kiiiiik!”
Crom, coming to his senses, pointed his staff at Kang Seol and yelled.
“Just you wait, I’ll give you a gruesome death!”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“Kiiiiik!”
As the moles hurriedly retreated, Bram approached Kang Seol this time.
Thud…
Kuuung…
“Human.”
“Didn’t I win?”
“That power….”
When ferocity flashed in Bram’s eyes, Bron quickly stepped in.
“Brother, with the uninvited guests gone, shall we continue our talk?”
“……When the sun sets, come to me.”
“…We will.”
Thud…
Thud…
As Bram left with his subordinate warriors, Bron approached Kang Seol.
“Fortune favors us. To have tasted Lizard’s power, even if just a little.”
“Erosion… it was dangerous.”
“Kukuku… yeah, what’s your impression of facing the primordial god’s power, even indirectly?”
Kang Seol pulled out a crystal orb engraved with a white bird from his bosom and smiled.
“It’s doable.”
[Special Item Theft succeeds.]
[Special Achievement ‘I’m a Thief!’ accomplished.]
[Special Title 「Phantom Thief」 acquired.]
* * *
Before sunset, the group was assigned tents so shabby they could hardly be called lodgings.
Kang Seol was assigned a spot next to Yevah and Ishii’s tents.
There was still quite some time before evening.
Whooo…
Kang Seol stared at the bluish-glowing crystal and checked its information.
[Inexplicable: Crystal of Dawn]
Rank: Inexplicable
Appropriate Level: None
Weight: 0.1kg
A crystal born by a legendary mage.
After the mage vanished, its whereabouts were mysterious for a time, but it has reappeared in the world.
Special Ability: Emits the power of extreme cold.
An incredibly simple description.
The moment Kang Seol held the crystal, he shuddered at the immense energy it emanated.
- I feel it! I feel it! It’s Azran’s power!
Ur, uncalled, even personally verified its authenticity.
During the battle, Kang Seol had used Branca’s power to create ice identical to the crystal. He had planned it from the start—press Crom and swap the dawn crystal with the identical ice.
‘I wondered if it would work… and it did.’
Zakcha’s timely intervention meant Crom didn’t notice until he left.
Kang Seol had gone to the trouble of stealing it, but he hadn’t decided how to use it yet.
‘Even if I forge it into a weapon, I have Bitan….’
Karen, Jamad, Karuna.
They all had good weapons, and there was no guarantee making one with the crystal would yield better results.
It synergized well with ice-related powers, so it suited Jamad who could use glacier sorcery or Ur who had Frozen Truth. But Jamad’s main power was earth, and Ur couldn’t equip items.
‘Forging into equipment is out. Then….’
He frowned.
“It means I have to swallow it….”
In fact, that was how Azran had used the dawn crystal.
He swallowed it to enhance his magic.
Obviously too big for the throat, it must have melted with mana.
“Swallow it… who?”
Who would swallow it.
Kang Seol naturally thought Ur should. As Azran’s successor.
But there was a reason to avoid it.
‘What other problems might arise….’
Long ago, when leaving the south, Kang Seol had suffered headaches from the immortality pill he consumed.
Relics left by the Legendary Ten held extraordinary power, so even Kang Seol couldn’t use them casually—it was a pipe dream.
‘What if Ur swallows the crystal and returns in 3 years?’
Such horrific scenarios kept circling his mind. He had similar experience once.
- Th-there’s a way.
Ur presented a solution to Kang Seol.
- Too risky for me to swallow, useless for you?
‘Yeah.’
- Then have him swallow it.
Whoooo…
An integrated clone appeared in front of Kang Seol.
A figure identical to him.
“Ah!”
- Kukuku… simple logic.
The least risky option.
In truth, Ur was the summon most efficiently using Kang Seol’s integrated clone.
Kang Seol hesitated briefly, then moved the integrated clone.
The clone brought the crystal to its mouth.
Crack…
The crystal shattered into powder and was sucked into the clone’s mouth.
Snap…
Crackle crackle…
[Integrated Clone swallows the Crystal of Dawn.]
[Freezes from the unbearable power.]
Crackle crackle crackle…
Kang Seol frowned at the clone freezing like a cryogenic human.
“Failure?”
- No way, send it back. I’ll study how to use it.
“Got it.”
Whirlic…
Kang Seol controlled the integrated clone and sent it through the Gate of the Void. He had essentially already claimed the reward of this adventure.
A moment later.
“Let’s go together.”
“Yeah.”
Kang Seol headed to Bram’s dwelling with Bron and Burtul.
And received an unexpected answer.
“Go back, Bron. Seriagwi cannot join you.”
“…What? What did you say….”
“I won’t repeat. Seriagwi… cannot join you.”
“…….”
It was a shocking response.
‘Seriagwi never intended to join this war from the start?’
But the atmosphere felt off for that.
Kang Seol quietly observed.
“So that’s how it is. You who exiled us….”
“No, not for that reason. We….”
“Shameless, Bram.”
“…Burtul.”
“With those hands, you brought suffering to my mother….”
“Burtul! Stay out! This is….”
“You deserved to be exiled! That day… that day we….”
Kang Seol raised one eyebrow.
“We… trusted you….”
Bram reacted to Burtul’s words.
Violently.
“Y-yes, as you say… we committed an unforgivable sin, one we can never wash away.”
“Then! Shouldn’t you atone by answering our call!”
Burtul smiled faintly.
“…We couldn’t escape it.”
“…….”
“The spirits’ curse… wouldn’t let us free ourselves. We’re… still hungry.”
“No….”
Kang Seol and Jamad roughly grasped the situation.
‘They killed their kin out of bloodlust? …That’s why they were exiled.’
- Common enough. Trolls who can’t escape the blood curse often do it. But Seriagwi may have lusted after too much power.
Kang Seol nodded at Jamad’s whisper.
“…No way. Didn’t you say there was a way! You asked for time!”
Secrets revealed as the story progressed.
Seriagwi’s exile seemed to be a conversation already exchanged between Bron and Bram.
“…Wrong. After Branca died, no sorcerer could appease the spirits. They all died to the spirits’ curse during the rites. Now….”
“Branca… Branca… you again. Really….”
Then, Bron muttered as if realizing something.
“Branca… Branca….”
He suddenly turned! and looked at Kang Seol.
“Branca!”