The 31st Piece Turns the Tables - Chapter 353
Chapter 353
It has been quite a while since the snowfall disappeared after the Yasha battle.
As the embers of the fight for courage burned again in the East, those searching for the missing snowfall also flowed to various parts of the continent.
“Jin Hong! I got a feeling! Sniff! I have a feeling that we will meet here….”
“This is exactly the 37th time.”
“yes?”
“You said that a total of 37 times just now.”
“Why are you counting all that?”
“Because I was disappointed 36 times.”
“aha! sorry!”
“I just need to know. So don’t get excited.”
They were a simple search team that was scattered throughout the East under orders from Seolhong.
No matter how much they searched the east, no traces of snowfall were found, so they have now expanded their territory and crossed the border between the northern and southern regions.
“But have we already moved thirty-seven times?”
“Well… something like that.”
“Then how about taking it easy? It would be better to act a little more leisurely…”
“Remember whose orders you are acting under.”
“….”
“This is the name of Seolhong, who may become Khan’s next Dragon Emperor. “How can we neglect the search for his missing dragon stone!”
“… Still, it’s too far from here. The news was cut off for a while. “How in the world do you find a man you don’t even know where he is?”
“….”
“Honestly, being alive is just a guess, maybe…”
“Stop! How…”
“Ah! mistake! That’s a bit excessive. anyway! I was so tired. “You’ve been forced to march, right?”
What the subordinate said made sense.
Due to Joo-hong’s stubborn personality, the number of adjutants was reduced from two to one.
Since I had gone on a long trip without any compensation, I had nothing to say even if I was upset.
Suha smiled and said this.
“Ah… it would be nice to rest here.”
“Didn’t you hear? It is said that a labyrinth appeared here and that there were deaths among the villagers…”
“That was a long time ago! They say business is normal now. I heard that people often visit because of the hot springs…”
“Hmm…”
“Why don’t you just take a leisurely rest in the hot springs instead? “We are trying to bring some vitality to the quiet mountainous area.”
Joo Hong shook his head.
“Personnel from the Northern Federation were dispatched due to the labyrinth problem. “The former and the guild also came.”
“Ah, what kind of token is this and why are we fighting? That’s why they say you can’t even go near the labyrinth. “Only the mountain village residents are having a hard time because of the bastards.”
“I say this just in case, but never cause conflict with them.”
“to? It’s a conflict and there’s no reason to wake up and cause it. Because what they are looking for is different from what we are looking for. Or… are you even interested in labyrinths? ah! Perhaps you want to make a fortune there and resign from your job at the Dragon Palace…”
“It’s too much!”
“Ugh… you’re so honest. That would be great. I also benefited from it… Ah! Speaking of which, if things go this way, wouldn’t it be strange if we had a conflict with their personnel?”
“what? “Why?”
“Oh my gosh, you can’t come to a hot spring town and enjoy the hot springs! There are only two reasons to come here: the labyrinth or the hot springs. If not both, who will believe you? “You will definitely be suspected of targeting the labyrinth!”
“….”
“Besides, we are shameless guys who came over from the East on a secret mission! Even your place of origin is questionable…”
“I got it, I got it!”
“yes?”
Suha opened his eyes wide and waited for the next words.
Joo Hong sighed and followed his subordinate’s words.
“If it’s an extension of the mission…”
“Hehe… Isn’t it all fun at the mission level? “All public funds are given away to be used in times like this.”
“Ugh….”
“Okay, let’s find a hotel with a hot spring.”
“Yeeeeeeeeee! “There is some room for public expenses for a moment, right?”
“I can afford to save money. do not worry.”
“also! “Good job holding the line, Seolhong!”
“guy! “Don’t express yourself frivolously!”
“It’s a hot spring! It’s a hot spring! the best!”
* * *
Joo-hong was taken by Su-ha and stayed at a lodging where the price was suspiciously increased.
“Juhong, don’t you go to the hot springs? Spa!”
“Go first.”
“Tsk! Not funny.”
“what?”
“The hot springs are the best! Spa!”
After a while, Suha returned to the dorm with a tired expression.
The bedding was separate, so there would be no problems even if the genders were different.
It has always been like that.
“Hehe… I’ll sleep first. The hot spring was the best….”
“Hmm….”
At dawn, Scarlett headed to the hot spring.
He is wary of being noticed by others and prefers a quiet environment, so he deliberately chose this time of day.
He heads to the hot springs with a drink to quench his thirst and a cloth to cover his important parts.
“hmm?”
Even though it was early morning, a man in the bathtub across from me was enjoying the hot springs with his back turned.
Since she was immersed with a cloth over her head and eyes, Joo-Hong didn’t pay much attention and went to her seat to soak in the hot spring.
Pong…
The feeling that was so hot gradually became dull and soon made my body feel tired.
Jjoljjol…
Jjuuuup…
“Kuh…”
As I took a sip of the drink I had brought, my body relaxed as if I had become a mollusk.
Haaaaa…
Haaaaa…
“Hmm?”
“huh?”
Funny enough, the sigh could be heard from across the room. There was a large rock blocking the view, so only sound came through, but it was an amazing coincidence.
Was it because of that that I mustered up the courage to talk to the stranger?
“I don’t think he’s a resident of Hyung’s village… Did you come here because of the labyrinth? Are you from the north?”
Alas, these are not things to ask all at once.
Juhong thought so, but the answer came back quite appropriately.
“I guess… I guess so. “What about that one?”
“I…”
When I thought about it, I was concerned that there would be trouble if I revealed my identity. No matter what the internal circumstances were, it was a secret mission and this was not Khan.
“Hmm… it’s difficult to say. Oh, was that such a strange thing to say? I’m sorry.”
“There must be circumstances. I understand.”
Fortunately, the other person was a person with a generous heart.
“You were sighing a while ago… Is there something you’re worried about?”
“That too… you were resting more deeply than me…”
The man was right.
Actually, Zhu Hong wasn’t very satisfied with her current life.
“Ha…actually….”
He told the story of coming here without revealing his identity.
“There is someone looking for it on the owner’s orders… but there is no trace of it at all. “I’ve been looking for it for quite some time, but there’s no harvest.”
“No trace? “Are you an enemy?”
“No, it’s not like that. “If I had to really think about it, I would say he’s a benefactor.”
“your?”
“I am the master’s benefactor.”
The man across from me smiled and asked.
“Why are you looking for him?”
“That’s because the master still needs him.”
“Well, did your benefactor run away?”
“… You may not believe it, but one day it suddenly evaporated.”
“It’s hard to believe.”
“I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it myself.”
“It seems you are very loyal to come all the way to this rough terrain to find him.”
If you look at the sentence alone, it may have sounded sarcastic, but it didn’t feel that way at all in the other person’s tone or tone.
Rather, it feels like admiration.
Joo Hong, who had developed feelings for the man for no reason, scratched her head and felt embarrassed.
“Haha… I’m loyal, so maybe it’s just wishful thinking.”
“wind?”
“I only hope that he becomes stronger. “If there is anything that can be of help, even if it means going to hell, I have to do my duty.”
Then the man across from me responded with respect:
“I don’t know who your master is, but I have a subordinate like you, so even if I don’t find that benefactor, I will be able to navigate the future.”
“… These are words I truly want to cherish like gold. The situation hasn’t changed much, but it feels like something has been resolved just by those words. “Can I listen to your concerns now?”
“My worries are not that big of a deal. “Do you really want to listen?”
“If you share even trivial concerns, they will be easier to resolve. “Isn’t that right?”
“….”
“Is this difficult for you to talk about?”
A negative answer came back to Zhu Hong’s words.
“no. It’s an abstract concern… um….” “
Even if it’s simple…”
“I feel lost.”
“Are you lost?”
“I thought the boat was going as well as I thought it would. Even though we encountered storms and storms several times, the direction did not change. But… I feel like that confidence has suddenly disappeared. “It’s to the point where I start to doubt whether I was going in the right direction in the first place.”
“hmm! “It’s definitely abstract.”
“I have a lot of work to do. “I can’t afford to waste time worrying about this…”
“Luckily, this is a problem I can answer.”
“yes?”
“It looks like you need some time.”
“… hour?”
Joo Hong must have been pleasantly drunk and gave advice to the man across from her as if he were her senior in life.
“Even if you spend time on the road, you won’t run away from it.”
“….”
“The direction you first look is not always correct, is it? When walking down the street, there are times when you have to turn around… and there are times when you need to take a break. Uh… So what I’m saying is… don’t get too hung up on your destination. “If you pay attention to your surroundings, you won’t have to worry about getting lost again, right?”
A moment of silence.
Joo-hong felt embarrassed and was thinking back on what he had said, wondering if he had said too much.
However, the other person expressed gratitude to him.
“That seems to be correct.”
“Uh… was that helpful?”
“Enough.”
“There is a saying in the hometown I left behind. “Neither the fastest nor the most tireless climbs to the top of a mountain.”
Zhu Hong spoke a truth that has been around for a long time.
“He is someone who desperately wants to climb that mountain.”
“….”
Sigh…
The man across from me stood up and said.
“… Thank you for your words. It was a great help.”
“ha ha ha! It was helpful… I don’t have anything more to say. Well then… I hope you make a better decision.”
The man answered by turning around and walking.
“I hope you find your benefactor too.”
“I will definitely find it. “If it appears right in front of me, I will tie it tightly with a rope and take it away.”
As the man left, Joo Hong sipped the remaining drink and smiled cheerfully.
“It was a good conversation. “I feel like I can really find obsidian.”
* * *
Snowfall did not enter the pitch-black labyrinth right away, but was worried about it over and over again.
He is now at a crossroads.
‘It’s right to skip the labyrinth and head to Seolhong. But…’
I lost confidence that it was the right choice.
Confidence is proportional to ability.
When Kang Seol checked himself now, he found that not much had changed since right after he came to the East.
‘It would be the same even if I used the ability tree.’
Even if you increase the efficiency of your abilities, it will not lead to an increase in rank.
Maybe it happened because he met Mirei too early, who taught him the secret art of the night raven.
Perhaps because he realized it too early, the stepping stone to the next step seems far away.
He analyzed himself accurately.
‘If things continue like this… when trouble breaks out in the East…’
For example, when a large-scale incident like the resurrection of Hwageumu occurs…
‘I will die. Are you sure.’
Although Jamad has reached a new level, Hwagmu has achieved a higher level than him.
Tantuinu was a young dragon, but Hwagmu was an old evil dragon.
Even though the two are the same dragon, they are different species, so I wonder if it is right to compare them, but if you only look at their strength, that’s the case.
– There are no shortcuts. Wise people already know that. That’s why I just run fast on the designated path.
– Honest thoughts will sometimes keep your order. You who have no process, only results… Maybe that will protect your future.
Kang Seol pondered what the sleepyhead had said.
“There is no process, only results….”
As time passed, Kang Seol realized what that meant.
‘It’s just me.’
If you wanted to become stronger, you had to put in the appropriate amount of time and effort. However, he has overcome several large-scale adventures by creating variables and using the power of his summons.
Thanks to this, I was rewarded beyond measure, but the balance was broken.
It’s like putting only high-end equipment on top of weak words.
Of course, compared to other transferees, he may still be a long way ahead, but the target of Kangseol’s comparison should not have been transferors.
“decided.”
Kang Seol thought about what she heard at the hot springs last night and finally made a decision.
“I’m heading to the labyrinth.”
Jamard laughed at Kang Seol’s words.
“Have you finally made up your mind? “What about the East?”
“Let’s go back a little bit.”
Kang Seol smiled bitterly as she looked at the two arrows heading toward the labyrinth.
‘I thought it would be a little later before I set foot here…’
Lian Kuros’ compass.
There was a time when the location of words related to calling went around in circles.
That was when the jet-black labyrinth appeared here.
‘They are here.’
I remember passing through a pitch-black labyrinth in the past.
Two stopped and only one got out.
The reason why Kang Seol did not call it a breakthrough was because it was only a half-success.
‘Would I be able to do it if I were the person I am now…’
A mumbling sound could be heard from far away.
A cloud of people was blocking the entrance to the pitch-black labyrinth.
“Don’t let anyone approach until the owner of the token is decided!”
“In what capacity does the Federation claim ownership of the Labyrinth?”
Snowfall, which had nothing to do with them, could only stare at the pitch-black labyrinth.
Two arrows headed towards the pitch-black labyrinth.
Two people died there and one escaped.
And even those who escaped were not safe.
Because I lost one arm.
Kang Seol, filled with emotion, remembered what happened in hell.
‘It’s been a long time…’
The days of hell that the one-armed swordsman barely managed to escape after losing one arm.
All reasons lie dormant there.