The 31st Piece Turns the Tables

Chapter 381:

I had heard of a man named Yoohyeon.

The owner of the tent, currently inactive.

Therefore, Yoohyeon is currently the strongest among the active members of Jangmag.

“Are you hurt?”

As Yuhyeon approached Yurim, the crow that was attached to Yurim flew towards Yuhyeon.

Food deuk…

Yu-rim relayed information to Yu-hyeon.

“They… use three types of swords, Master. Also….”

“Start with the answer to my question. …Are you hurt?”

“That’s… yeah…”

She looked at me.

“yes. “Seol… saved me… I’m sorry. It was my fault.”

Yuhyeon put her hand on the shoulder of Yurim, who was blaming herself, and shook her head.

“It’s no one’s fault. No person can be perfect. That’s why I raise my sword.”

Sigh… Yoohyeon stood up again with her bent knees looking at Lucia and the others and said.

“To reach perfection one day.”

“… Yoohyeon. “You were indebted to me, right?”

As the surprised face said, Yoohyeon left many scars on her face. Because he killed the hateful face and defeated the smiling face Jamad.

‘This person… Yoohyeon.’

It was a strange feeling to see the master of the tent, whom I had only heard about, in front of my eyes.

“be careful. Master, they use strange sword techniques. “If you put the three swords together… it’s difficult to block.”

Yoohyeon smiled and scratched her chin after hearing her words.

“That’s interesting. “Three swords become one.”

“fun? “How dare you…”

“I’ll cut your mouth into pieces first.”

Paaaaat-!

Three people joined forces from the beginning.

Neither I nor Yurim could help Yuhyeon because we had spent a lot of energy in an instant.

“Danger….”

Kaaaaaaaaaa!

Lucia is the first to attack with her sword.

Touuung…

Yuhyeon knocked it out without difficulty.

‘Unusual sound…’

At the same time, two swords were aimed at him.

Tudung-!

Yoohyeon easily bounces them off again.

Boom!

Touuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!

Tudung!

‘Oh no… I can’t believe it…’

Yoohyeon dealt with all three people with one sword, with one hand behind her back.

In other words, he is suppressing three people with one hand.

“Ugh….”

“Here you go!”

Surprised faces gritting their teeth as loopholes were not revealed as expected.

However, people cannot be perfect.

A hole created the moment Belian’s vibration sword is removed. It wasn’t intentional. It was definitely a mistake.

The three decided that way.

The three swords became entangled like a huge stream.

[Velian uses the vibrating sword.]

[The sword vibrates, making defense difficult.]

[Veldre uses the spreading sword.]

[The effect given to the sword gradually expands the range. It expands and spreads.]

[Lucia uses the Bloodletting Sword.]

[When the Bloodletting Sword inflicts a wound, it causes massive bleeding in the target.]

…

‘That’s…!’

Looking at the same place at the same time.

Aim strongly at the target location.

The three of us will soon become one.

It was their breath.

And against it…

a sword that was one from the beginning.

[Yoohyeon uses Jeolgi: Unified Cut.]

[Cuts down the target.]

At the point where the three swords meet, Yuhyeon’s sword came first and was waiting.

Standing at the intersection without any hesitation.

Kwaaaaaaaaaa!

Everything was cut down.

Puhwaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

There was no trace of Veldre standing in front, and the other two were reduced to rags by fragments of the broken sword.

Just one move.

He conquered everything with just one move.

“Ugh… wow….”

“Woo… wow….”

The sisters scattered and collapsed.

Now it has been reduced from three to two.

Even that number seemed likely to decrease soon.

“I saw it well. As expected…”

Clap…

“You can’t do just one thing.”

Yoo-hyeon performs a lead sword.

‘Overwhelming skill…’

Yuhyeon looked like a god, crushing the approaching threat with only a sword.

“Master!”

Yurim’s face changed from surprise to emotion, and she approached Yuhyeon and hugged her.

“… I missed you.”

“Me too, Yurim. “I’m glad you’re safe.”

The reunion of teacher and disciple.

We have already heard a lot about the relationship between Yurim and Yuhyeon. It is also said that he recognized Yurim’s genius and did his best to teach him.

“Ugh… Ugh….”

A fragment stuck in Lucia’s chest.

She is still alive, but living is wrong.

I approached her.

With all the other sisters already dead, I was struggling to figure out what lingering feelings I had left.

“Uh… ah… I can’t… keep it like this…”

“Why are you doing that? “Do you have any regrets left?”

It was then.

Faaaaaaaaaaa!

She pulled my collar.

“This…”

“Listen… listen…”

What do you want me to hear?

Is there something you want to say?

I put my ear to her as her voice gradually became quieter.

“I… I… I remember you…”

“… What?”

“I remembered… I have to remember… you… or… everyone… dead…” “

… what are you talking about?”

“Deja vu… I forgot… If I forget… I won’t…”

Deja vu.

The words that came out of her mouth kept ringing in my head.

‘no way!’

Maybe she knows something about the phantom pain I experience.

“Lucia! hey!”

Tuk…

there was no answer.

My eyes were dead and my breath was dead.

She won’t come back.

“Damn it…”

While she was biting her lip and thinking about her words, Yurim and Yuhyeon approached.

“are you okay?”

“Are you okay, Seol?”

I turned back and looked at them.

“That…”

At that time, another illusion appeared next to Yuhyeon’s appearance.

“Ugh….”

Sigh…

Yoohyeon’s eyes were bloodshot and she was wearing a mask.

‘That… what the hell…’

tap…

Yoohyeon tapped my shoulder and asked.

“Are you… okay?”

Squeak…

The headache gradually subsided.

The evil illusion also disappeared as if it had never existed.

“… it’s okay.”

“Then let’s get out of here.”

Yurim responded to Yuhyeon’s words.

“But where is Lian…”

“I already checked where he is.”

Yuhyeon looked at us with eyes that seemed to hesitate.

* * *

We visited a mountain cabin in a remote place with Yuhyeon.

Ryan was there.

He was poisoned and foam constantly flowed from his mouth. The marks on his body showed that torture had been committed here.

“Kick… I can’t believe I died like this.”

“… Lian.”

“Listen carefully, Yoohyeon…”

Siik…

“It would be best to leave the tent quickly.”

Lian speaks tremblingly.

Yoohyeon said with a grin.

“Where does a wanderer leave here and fly to?”

“Kick… Kihi… That’s right. That… it’s true….”

Uk…

“Ugh…”

Rian’s death pained me even though I had never met him before.

I quietly walked out the door and stood on the cliff

.

It was snowing outside.

It was always winter when my birthday came.

Whenever it snows like this, I think of the past.

What were the days at the loading dock like, what was the snow on Santos’ ship like, and what was the scenery at the mountain cabin where I met Yurim again?

When it snows, everything comes to mind vividly.

Squeak…

I looked back at the sight and saw Yurim approaching.

“Isn’t it cold?”

Her flushed cheeks and leaking breath. Winter gave me a nostalgic feeling.

Still, the doubts in my heart did not subside. I wonder what Lucia was trying to say and why the feeling of déjà vu does not go away.

“What… happened?”

“Actually…”

When Lucia brought up the story to Yu-rim, Yu-rim pouted her lips and said this.

“Seol-ah, actually… I’m the same.”

“… what?”

“I have two secrets I haven’t told you. huh? “I’m sorry, are you surprised?”

“Ah…”

I tried to get over the shock I just received. Was she hiding something from me?

“Honestly…”

“Ahaha… what is it?”

“What are the things we haven’t said?”

Yurim told me facts I didn’t know.

“That sense of déjà vu. “I have one too.”

“… what? Is that really true?”

I couldn’t believe there was someone else besides me who felt this sense of déjà vu. And the person who felt that sense of déjà vu was Yurim, the girl closest to me…

“It’s a little different in my case…”

“Different?”

“The faces of the managers at the loading dock… and all the people in the tent.”

Yurim placed her hand on her heart.

“Every time I see them, this place gets cold. Should I say it’s painful?”

“…is it painful?”

“Yeah, not as much as you, but… it’s kind of painful, but… I feel contradictory and happy.”

Unknown emotions.

Yurim smiled and said this.

“You are there.”

“….”

“I have you.”

She was right.

We have each other.

“Actually, I heard about what you went through… from the labor and management.”

“…I heard.”

My world where Yurim left.

Everyone has at least one secret they don’t want anyone to know. To me, it just looks weak.

I especially didn’t want Yurim to find out about my painful past. A

soft

feeling came over me.

“….”

Yurim hugged me.

I gently stroked her head.

It smelled good.

“Everyone in the tent is precious to me.”

“okay.”

“But you are more important than all of that combined.”

“… why?”

The time you spent with the members of the tabernacle must have been longer than the time you spent with me.

“They all do it for me, but if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have met them in the end. “You gave me the world.”

“… ah.”

She is loved by Jangmag.

It was I who guided her to that tent.

She brushed some of the snow off her head.

“What! Oh, by any chance… do you smell it?”

“Yeah, nice smell.”

“….”

I didn’t ask about her other secret.

There must be a reason for that secret too.

Yurim blushed and sat down on the cliff.

This is where I sat.

I also sat down next to her.

“I don’t know.”

“huh? what?”

“Why is everyone so strong?”

“… Seol-ah Rian’s death has nothing to do with us…”

“No, I’m talking about this regardless of the issue of responsibility. “Your master easily defeated the opponent we struggled with.”

“… “You are strong too, Seol.”

Her words were sweet comfort.

But I still couldn’t relieve this anxiety.

“No, I… I have to become stronger than I am now.”

“why? “Why do you want to become so strong?”

“In order to get out of the labyrinth and meet everyone again…”

“… What?”

Yurim tilted her head.

“… What did I just say?”

“Labyrinth… I think you were talking about something like that?”

“labyrinth?”

What a labyrinth.

Why are you suddenly saying that?

“No, that’s not it. Something keeps screaming in my chest. You know, do you really need a purpose to become strong?”

“Uhm….”

Yurim said, pouting her lips.

“Master said. “You don’t necessarily need a purpose to become strong.”

“… Really?”

“Yes, you said this instead. Ahem… we need to talk.”

“… story?”

“huh! They say all strength comes with a story. Um… So I…”

Right then.

“… you’re right.”

A voice came from behind.

“Uh oh… surprise! Master! “You almost fell from surprise!”

Before I knew it, Yuhyeon was standing behind me.

Yoohyeon smiled and said this.

“Snowfall Not all strength needs a purpose. “If there’s one thing you need, it’s a story.”

“story…?”

“Grace or time and effort… or even the pain of loss and intense hardship.”

“… ah.”

“Everything will become a story.”

Aiming to become stronger did not necessarily mean becoming stronger. But every strong man had a story. The story of how I was able to reach that level.

“It may be a bit far-fetched, but only when we accumulate stories that the world can acknowledge… is it possible to overcome the wall of state.”

Yoohyeon smiles.

“First of all, that’s what I experienced.”

A story…

do I have a story?

‘… there is.’

Not only did I experience it at the loading dock, but I also experienced all kinds of hardships to become this strong.

So the method was not wrong. There just isn’t enough story.

Sigh-!

“Now, shall we build a story together?”

“Is Seol with you too?”

“of course. The topic of the story is… let’s make it about time and effort.”

Yurim’s face crumpled.

“… Is that something we can agree on?”

“It’s impossible.”

“Hi…”

Yurim looked like she was about to cry. I laughed for no reason.

It was a snowy winter when I was 20.

* * *

Time flows like running water.

“happy birthday! Seol-ah!”

As I accelerated my training, the concept of time became increasingly blurry.

A past where the passage of time was counted as each painful day.

Now I’m starting to measure it not by months… but by seasons.

“Has it already happened like that?”

“Now we’re twenty-three too!”

Pisik…

Yurim seemed happy to be getting older.

No, he seemed like a child, happy that he was the same age as me.

There have been many changes over the past three years.

We have experienced dozens of missions.

In the process, I collided with several faces. We survived and they died.

Well, there are some people who don’t die.

The biggest reason why I, or we, were able to survive was Yuhyeon. Yoohyeon gave me a new direction.

His skills were absolute.

His strength, built up through effort and belief, was unassailable.

“Don’t be impatient. snowfall.”

He told me countless times.

“In the end, all roads lead to one.”

“All roads lead to one….”

“This is the so-called truth of the intersection. “No matter which powerful person you ask, the memory of tearing down a wall will always be the same.”

Yuhyeon’s fingers stretched forward.

“There will be light emanating from far away. “You just have to go there… it’s a simple path.”

“Master, have you seen the same path?”

Sigh…

Yuhyeon smiled and avoided answering.

His specialty was swordsmanship, but he definitely filled in what I was lacking.

I became stronger.

Much more than I was before.

Ugh…

“Hmm…”

Yoohyeon held out a black glove to me.

“This is….”

“Happy birthday, Snowfall.”

“….”

Twenty-three birthday.

Well, it’s my birthday again.

Now it has become natural to celebrate birthdays. Everything I received from Yurim and Yuhyeon made me happy.

It seemed like all these days would continue.

Did someone say something?

It is said that the scales of life are always level.

Clink-!

When you are immersed in happiness, unhappiness is bound to knock on your door.

“No… no…”

Yurim trembled after receiving the letter the crow delivered.

Sigh…

Yoohyeon takes over the paper she was holding.

“… okay.”

Yoohyeon looked back at me.

“Toki is dead.”

“… yes?”