The 31st Piece Turns the Tables

Chapter 20

The remains of the destroyed wagon and fake cargo were scattered on the ground.

“Urgh…”

“I… I won’t let that bastard get away with this…”

Sang-gyu and Jincheol luckily survived as the scenario normally goes.

But, probably because they were still shocked from the crash, they remained in the rubble, frozen.

If they were just a bit more aware and resolved, they would have been able to escape this situation easily.

Clop Clop…

They could hear the sound of horse hooves.

“Damn it… Shit… We have to get out of here!”

“I can’t move my body! Fuck!!”

They were mistaken.

They believed they were stronger than the people who had just fought. They believed they were strong because they terrified others.

“Damn it! Fuuuuuck!”

But was that really the case?

The horses were getting closer.

And before they knew it, they could hear people as well.

“Ha! Ha!”

“...Not here!”

They were terrified of the dozens of people coming after them. The two could see the dust storm that the horses were kicking up.

And in the blink of an eye, they arrived there.

All of them had tattoos on their faces that were just like Kujo’s.

“Hm… Tragedy has already struck.”

“......”

Slide.

As the person who looked like their leader dismounted, so did the others.

The man looked around at the situation and let out a quiet voice.

“Find Kujo.”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

“Find him! It’s Borgo’s orders! We have to get Kujo’s corpse at least.”

The group perfectly scattered to look through the debris.

Lift.

“Krgh…”

The men checked if the faces of the corpses had a tattoo or resembled Kujo. If they didn’t resemble Kujo, the men separated them into a pile and in the unfortunate circumstance they were still alive, the men would finish them off.

Sang-gyu and Jincheol were trembling, praying that nothing happens to them.

“We found him!”

“Is it Kujo?”

“Yes! I’m positive!”

“I’m on my way.”

Whenever Borgo walked, others followed.

Before long, he reached Kujo’s corpse.

Grab!

Borgo pulled Kujo’s corpse up into the air with one hand.

Kujo wasn’t a small person at all. Borgo was just ridiculously strong.

He used one hand to hold Kujo up and used the other to search Kujo’s body.

After that, he used his massive arms to throw Kujo down to the ground.

Thud!

It sounded like something had broken.

However, the people around him were more scared of his changed expression than his actions.

“Ha… Hahaha…”

Even though Borgo was clearly upset, he was also laughing.

Still, no one was stupid enough to laugh along with him.

They all knew that Borgo was someone who laughed when he was enraged.

Borgo killed whoever laughed along with him his entire life. No one dared to laugh with him.

Brogo stopped laughing and became expressionless.

“It’s not here,” said Borgo.

“...Oh no.”

“There’s no map. And there’s also no translated copy.”

“Wh-what do you think happened?”

“That’s… something for us to figure out.”

Borgo, after saying that, quickly turned his head back in an instant.

“Hurgh…”

His horrific gaze locked into where Sang-gyu and Jincheol were hiding. It was also the reason why Jincheol let out a small gasp.

Step.

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Step.

Borgo was approaching them.

“Luckily, they’re still alive.”

The only option left for Jincheol and Sang-gyu was to talk with him. They had to prove their worth without upsetting him.

“P-Please don’t kill us!”

“Please don’t kill us! We’ll tell you everything!”

Those men had killed like it was nothing. They were clearly experienced killers.

“Do you know where the map is?”

“M-Map?”

“…Do you not know?”

“I… don’t reall—”

Crush!

Sang-gyu’s neck was sliced off in an instant.

Judging by how Borgo’s handaxe was bloodied, it was clear that Borgo killed him. However, it was so fast that Jincheol was second-guessing himself.

“A-Aaaaargh!!”

Jincheol thought he was a monster.

“What about you?”

“Uh… Uhh… I-I don’t know about a map, but I have an idea on who might have it!!”

“Oho…”

“There was a man named ‘Snowman’ on the wagon with us! H-Have you found his corpse? He had a staff that glowed blue and a neat robe!”

“No, we didn’t find him.”

“Then I’m sure that he stole the map!”

One of the men who stood by Borgo’s side, a bald man, relayed information that he heard from his subordinate.

“Borgo, they’re telling me that there was someone who escaped from the wagon earlier.”

“...And?”

“We sent two people after him but they returned as corpses. Both were crushed by something.”

“...And?”

“It's likely that… he’s the one that he’s talking about.”

Borgo thought to himself while rubbing his chin. He then asked Jincheol another question.

“Anything else?”

“Huh?”

“Is there anything else?”

“A-And… he’s a summoner?”

“A summoner, huh… how fun.”

“Th-then what are you going to do with m—”

Slice!

Jincheol’s eyes were opened wide as his head rolled to the floor.

The Predator Guild’s ‘Murderer 4’ wasn't going to continue to the next Adventure.

“We’re chasing after him,” said Borgo as he climbed on his horse.

* * *

Translator - goguma

Proofreader - Karane

* * *

Seol had started running away long before Borgo’s group arrived.

Obviously, he wasn’t doing something as dumb as running away on foot.

After killing his pursuers, he took the horse that seemed to be in the best condition.

- Huh? Why is he riding a horse when he can’t even ride one?

- Don’t you need a talent to ride on a horse?

- Nope. Simple lifestyle talents are sometimes just given out.

Seol started off in an awkward stance but before he knew it, he became accustomed to the horse’s movements.

And as he did, a message popped up.

[An unexpected talent! You have gained Horseback Riding 1.]

[You are able to bring out the horse’s fastest speed.]

- Like that

- Easy, right?

- Haha… this isn’t the case for everyone, right?

- I don’t know that for sure. There’s not a lot of people who attempted it, so…

- This game is such a mess. I’m pretty sure I, Gong Hyeongsik, will be much better than him at this game.

- Reality: Gong Sukjin Out. Gong Sukjin Out. Race Start.

T/N: Reference to Ji Suk-jin in Running Man who always seems to be the first person to be out.

Seol opened the map he took from Kujo.

‘The ruins aren’t that far away.’

If his prediction was right, they should be starting to pursue him soon. A lot of people were going to chase after him on horseback.

‘I’m sure they’re much faster than me but that doesn’t matter. All I have to do is enter the ruins before them.’

Once Seol entered the ruin, their difference in speed was meaningless.

Seol was aiming for exactly that.

And another thing,

‘It doesn’t matter how many enemies I have once we’re in the ruin.’

Seol looked at the dense forest before him.

“So that’s the Great Forest…”

A few of the tougher Adventures in South Pandea take place in this forest. The Great Forest was just that massive. It was a mysterious place that had many hidden aspects to it due to its large size.

As Seol looked at it for the first time, he felt a strange wind blow.

Rumble Rumble…!

The horses were getting faster.

Seol kicked his horse, making it gallop even faster into the forest.

Not too long after, Borgo’s group arrived at his location.

“Ha! Ha!”

“There are traces of him here and there! It’s clear that he’s heading to the Great Forest.”

“It’s clear that he’s aiming for the ruin, Borgo.”

“...How fun. How dare he try to take what’s mine.”

Borgo was always the one that took, never the one that had their belongings taken. Well, it did happen on rare occasions. He just made sure to get revenge whenever it did happen.

Borgo’s group started to spread out after they entered the forest.

“The fallen leaves are hiding his traces! Make sure not to lose it!”

“It’s going to be easier for him the deeper he goes into the forest! We can’t give him time!”

Ffffft!

The arrows that the pursuers shot were mostly wasted.

Seol did hear some things get pierced but that was just by pure luck. They had no idea they were shooting in his direction.

Neeeeigh…

‘I’m almost there.’

It was going to be difficult to go through the mud on horseback. Luckily though, the ruin was right before the mud.

‘Here!’

It was a formation of three large rocks.

‘Three large rocks… I’m glad I didn’t miss it.’

After that, it was written that he had to do something with the statue nearby.

Even though Seol was aware that he had pursuers, he acted calmly.

“I found… the statue.”

He took some time finding the statue because it was hidden by the dead leaves, but thankfully, he didn’t waste too much time.

Seol now clearly remembered the options he took to clear this part in his previous games.

“I’ll turn this statue clockwise.”

Seol placed his hands on the statue and turned it clockwise.

Creak…

Creaaaaak…

The statue was making sounds for a while until eventually…

Click!

Something activated.

“It worked.”

Ruuuuumbleee.

The change happened fast.

The three massive rocks all rolled in different directions.

Ruuuumbleee.

- The person who created the ruins: (smug)

- That’s so cool LOL I love things like this.

- Now if we just forget about those scary guys chasing us…

It was just then.

[Borgo used Steel Shoulder.]

[Borgo used Guess.]

[Borgo used Destroy Obstacle.]

Fssss…

Seol could hear something coming from far away.

He realized this was an ominous sign and quickly turned his body.

However, his opponent’s action arrived first.

And it was an arrow.

An arrow that had pierced through multiple trees to reach him.

“Hurgh!”

It might have been a coincidence but the arrow was aimed exactly for Seol’s head.

Even though it missed his head, Seol felt it tear his ear.

And right after that…

Claaang!

Krghghghghg!

Jamad grabbed the arrow with the Mountain Fists. He slid on the ground because of the arrow’s power but he was able to stop it.

“Hmph!”

“......”

“Let’s go. The pursuers are going to arrive soon.”

[‘Evil Shipper’ has donated 200 Madness!]

[My chest… is throbbing… is this love?]

- omg omg!

- Get rid of these shippers…

- ???: I-I didn’t block the arrow for you okay? Baka!

- Sheeeeeeeeeeeesh! I believed in you, Jamad!

Seol nodded and entered the ruins.

And at the same time, his body became covered in light as he disappeared.

[You have successfully survived the ambush.]

[Rewards are being arranged.]

[The Linked Adventure continues.]

[You can only collect your rewards after all of the Adventures have been cleared.]

Bzzzzz

Seol realized his 3rd Adventure was over and quickly prepared for his next one.

[You begin your next Adventure.]

[Your 4th Adventure is starting.]

[Adventure 4. The Hall of Self-Control]

[Adventure 4. ‘The Hall of Self-Control’

You were tasked with guarding a merchant’s wagon but have been caught up in something incredible. The person who hired you, Aden, was not a merchant and did not give you his real name.

Even though you were attacked, you miraculously survived using your wit, and you were even able to acquire Aden’s items that a mysterious group is after.

But, perhaps due to your greed, the group who was after those items is now pursuing you. You might have momentarily escaped their pursuit, but you still can’t rest just yet.

The translated copy states that this is an ancient ruin called ‘The Hall of Self-Control’. You must slip away from your pursuers and survive.

Objective: Slip away from your pursuers and escape from ‘The Hall of Self-Control’, or kill all of your pursuers.

Remaining Time [23:59]]

- Yeah… so… uh… the pursuers are the ruin hunters, right?

- This is so poorly written! It took me so long to realize the pursuers were the ruin hunters!

- What a dilemma lol. It’s going to take him time to clear the ruins and if he’s too slow, he’s going to get caught by the ruin hunters.

- Oh no~ Their opponent is Snowman~

- We can look forward to it then haha

Seol quickly approached the Hall’s entrance.

It was covered in dust.

The walls were also covered with writings in a language he didn’t understand.

Seol first pulled out the translated copy to check the method for clearing the 1st Gate.

“‘You must give the blood of five innocent people’, huh…”

Seol scratched his head after reading the translated copy.

And a few seconds after, he saw the options available to him.

[[You are in front of <The Hall of Self-Control>’s entrance. What do you do?]

1. Check if there are any openings.

2. Check if there are any other entrances.

3. Decipher the sentence written at the entrance.

4. [Required: Translated Copy, 5 Sacrifices] Offer five sacrifices as it is written in the translated copy.

5. [Required: Stealth or Rogue] Hide here before the pursuers arrive.

6. [Required: Archaeology or Shaman] It seems the translated copy was translated incorrectly. Translate it properly.

……]

Seol checked the translated copy once more before comparing it with his memories.

Comparing them only gave him more confidence that his memories were right.

He then grabbed the translated copy in his hand before…

Riiiiip! Tear!

ripping it to shreds.

- Why did he do that?

- He must be out of his mind lol. How is he going to get in now?

- You worked so hard to get that too!

Seol didn’t even look at the scraps of the translated copy as he approached the door.

Slide…

He then used a dagger that he brought to cut himself.

- I thought you needed the blood of 5 people!

- You’re going to die trying to give the blood of 5 people alone, idiot!

Contrary to the viewers’ concern, the door opened after 5 drops of blood were spilled, not 5 people’s worth.

Rumbleeeeee!

[You have cleared the 1st Gate of ‘The Hall of Self-Control’.]

The door opened.

Seol gave a twisted grin before slowly going deeper into the ruins with Jamad.

“I was right.”

He did not doubt himself.