The 31st Piece Overturns the Game Board

As Hwagmu fell, Seol’s message window went wild.

[Snowman's great achievement has caused changes in the world.]

[Large and small changes happen in Pandea, The World of Eternity.]

[Everyone will talk about Hwagmu's final day.]

[Countless individuals who have confirmed the existence of a legend now wander in search of another legend.]

[The descendants of Great Empire Khan have successfully ascended to the throne.]

[Great Empire Khan is now ruled by three Kings.]

[Another evil that had been suppressed by Hwagmu begins to stir.]

[The connection between the East and the Ghost Realm grows stronger.]

[This Adventure requires collecting relevant clues to unlock.]

[Secret Labyrinth 'Hong Cheon's Finale' is now open.]

[This Adventure requires collecting relevant clues to unlock.]

[Faction: Khan and Faction: Spectre have reached a more amicable relationship.]

[All players can choose 'History Resembling Legend' from their Rest location.]

[All players can choose 'The Tale of the Salmon' from their Rest location.]

[You have acquired a large amount of Adventurer Points.]

[The Corrupt Dragon Hwagmu's resurrection will never happen again.]

[You have received additional rewards.]

[The Great Empire Khan enters a new era of history, the Age of Prosperity.]

[You have successfully concluded a historic Adventure.]

[You will acquire a large amount of Era's Might that has an unknown use.]

[You have received additional rewards.]

…

There were too many messages to take in at a glance.

The long and meaningful journey Seol had undertaken was just that extensive.

And still, the messages did not end there.

[You are the first to complete a Great Journey.]

[The Advance Party's special privilege has been activated.]

[You can now check the status of the Great Journeys of Pandea.]

[Failures: 32, In Progress: 56, Success: 1 (You)]

[You have earned the inaugural achievement 'Gus, Don't Embark on a Great Journey Like Me.']

[You have earned the inaugural title「Finisher」.]

[The amount of Era's Might the Veil possesses has increased significantly.]

[Those who have ascended to the era are now watching Secret Society: Veil.]

[This is a group still shrouded in mystery. Depending on their future actions, they might become villains or prophets.]

[The alignment of Secret Society: Veil has shifted slightly from chaotic good to lawful good.]

[All members of the Secret Society: Veil have obtained 200 Dignity.]

[You are now a long-time friend of the Great Empire's Emperor.]

[You have earned the inaugural achievement 'How was she during childhood? Don't even mention it.']

[You have earned the inaugural title「Someone with good friends」.]

[You have received the final reward of the Great Journey.]

[You have acquired what the old dragon left behind.]

[What the old dragon left is being stored in the Void.]

…

Was this what it meant to be overwhelmed by messages? It felt like he was going to be swept away by the wave of information, sinking him into the abyss.

But it was just at that moment.

BZZT…

'What…?'

Someone suddenly fell from the sky.

Everyone tensed up at the unexpected situation but quickly relaxed upon getting a closer look at who it was.

"Hoho… So you've really done it."

It was the Dragon they had met in Socheon.

"Master!"

He was Shin Yo’s master, who had also helped in the fight against Yaksha and had prophesized how the fight with Hwagmu would unfold.

Gulp…

Perhaps he was an even stronger opponent than Hwagmu.

"I've come to take this guy."

Whoosh…

The Dragon reached out toward Hong Cheon's corpse, sucking out a dark energy which flowed into the dragon's palm.

Swoosh…

"Hwagmu… you've accumulated too much karma. You will never be forgiven."

Seol asked.

"Where will his soul go?"

"He disrupted the order of the mortal realm. The reason I stayed in Socheon was to wait for the day this guy would meet his end. We will never set foot in the mortal realm again, and Hwagmu will pay the price for disturbing other worlds for so long."

The dragon who had let everything flow naturally would not lie. Without his help, Hwagmu wouldn't have resurrected and turned Khan into a wasteland.

"Our worlds are too far apart. Your ideals are meaningless to us, and our ideals are beyond your comprehension."

What was the dragon trying to say?

"Even so, I want to say this."

Smirk…

"Good job, salmon. I'll give you a gift."

Whir…

Something flowed out of Hwagmu's soul and seeped into Seol's eyes.

"Ugh…"

The pain was unbearable despite his tolerance.

This feeling was the same as the pain that came with each new awakening.

[Blood of Origin has accepted new blood.]

[Eyes of Foresight has transformed into the Dragon Blood Eye.]

[The effect is still unknown.]

[Passive: Good Lineage has been applied.]

…

A lot of messages popped up one after another, but since the effect of the Dragon Blood Eye was still unknown, the subsequent effects didn't manifest properly.

When Seol removed his hand from his eyes, a long, reptilian slit briefly appeared before disappearing.

"Well, I'll be going now."

Creak…

Piuuuu!

The dragon flew up into the sky.

WHOOM—!

The clear sky soon darkened, hiding the dragon in the stormy clouds.

The rest was up to the people.

* * *

Ugh…

Uuggh…

A man was drenched in sweat.

The servants wiped their sweaty foreheads with a cloth.

"Oof… Oof…"

"H-He's woken up!"

"He really woke up!"

"S… Sob…"

Despite feeling like he had just come back from the dead, the servants cried as if the man had died.

"Why are you crying…?"

"He even talks!"

"Huh…?"

The man touched his body and said.

"Why are all making such a fuss… Ugh…"

"A fuss? It's been a month!"

"What…?"

"You've been lying here for a month!"

"Wait… I… What…"

The man who sat up from the bed was Chi Woo.

The one who had been pierced by Hwagmu's spear and nearly died.

He was someone important to Seol Hong.

"Seol Hong! Where is Seol Hong…"

"I'm here."

A woman in a Dragon Robe was sipping tea.

"Seol Hong…"

"Everyone, leave us. He seems confused."

"Yes…"

The servants quickly left.

If anyone dared to argue with Seol Hong, the heavens would probably strike them down.

"Was I really knocked out for a month…?"

"Yes."

"What happened…? I remember Hwagmu…"

"Hwagmu?"

"Huh…? Was it a dream…?"

"Haha…"

As Seol Hong laughed, someone opened the door and appeared.

"Nice to meet you! Wolf boy!"

"Jin Ryeo! Your arm…"

One of Jin Ryeo's arms was now a mechanical prosthetic.

"Say hello, Kunna 2!"

- Hello, I'm Kunna 2. Nice to meet you.

A voice came out of the mechanical arm.

The pinnacle of Khan's mechanical engineering.

Mechanical engineering had not only influenced war machines but also directly impacted their lives.

"You know, I proved it! I did something important!"

"Jin Ryeo! Don't tell me… Did you defeat Hwagmu…? So you're that strong?"

"Not exactly… But anyway! I received Lady Seol Hong's approval to take as many naps as I want from now on! So I'll keep taking naps!"

"The first thing I hear after waking up is a declaration of slacking off…? This feels strange…"

Chi Woo looked at Seol Hong and asked.

"What happened…? Hwagmu…"

"He's dead."

"What…? Who…"

Seol Hong smiled.

Upon seeing that smile, a chill ran down Chi Woo's spine.

"Don't tell me… Did Seol come back?"

"He had come back."

"Had…?"

"He defeated the dragon… and left."

"Left?! Why?! Why didn't you stop him?! Khan needs him!"

Seol Hong replied.

"I know that… but…"

Seol Hong recalled the scene of Seol's back as he left.

"The world also needs him."

She stood up and looked out the window.

It wasn't that she didn't try to stop him—she couldn't.

His last words came to mind.

- Can you promise… you'll come back?

This time, Seol’s answer was different.

- I don't think I can…

Seol Hong stared out of the window and looked at Khan.

"He said he can't come back."

"…"

"He said he won't come back…"

"Where did he go?"

"To the north… wait, Chi Woo?"

Despite his hurting body, Chi Woo stood up and bowed deeply, hitting his head on the floor.

Thud!

Thud!

He kept bowing until he was exhausted.

"Thank you. Thank you, my friend. For saving Khan… For saving Seol Hong… I'm truly grateful."

Tears welled up in Chi Woo's eyes as he spoke.

"May your days be brighter than the ones we spent together!"

So much had happened between the three of them.

Chi Woo was worried about Seol Hong.

"Seol Hong…"

"It's okay. I'm okay. I've learned everything from him. That gentleness isn't always the answer, that sometimes you have to face things head-on, that the world doesn't always go as you want."

She murmured weakly as she gazed at the sunset.

"The last thing I learned was how to part with someone precious."

"We aren't going to see him again, right…?"

Grin…

Seol Hong turned around with a smile.

If she were to answer as the child she once was, she would have said yes, but.

"No. All paths are connected. I will gift peace to this new era. I'm going to do everything I can. Then, someday… we're going to meet again. I'm sure of it."

The reason why she could be sure…

"He won't disappear. We're going to hear stories about him all across the continent. Just imagining that makes me feel better."

News of him will carry his scent.

Surely, he would cause a ruckus wherever he went.

"After all… he's an outsider."

This was the story of a child who became an adult.

The story of an outsider from across the sea who had bloomed a flower in the land of dragons.

* * *

Clank…

Clank…

BOOM…

A knight collapsed.

The black armor they wore was reminiscent of someone.

"I've found it…"

The man who had infiltrated the Church of Eternal Life.

Another body of Karuna and a fragment that longed for Jin.

"To think it was hidden in a place like this…"

The past days he had spent for Montra's revival flashed before his eyes.

He had clashed with the leaders of the Church of Eternal Life to obtain crucial information.

Finally, the knight managed to shake off the pursuit and arrived at the place where what he sought was hidden.

"Oof… Oof…"

When he first arrived here, he was baffled.

Everything was in ruins.

The entrance was hard to find, and even if he entered, he wasn't sure he could get out.

A massive crater had been dug.

The knight finally found something in the crater.

"Alcatron…"

It was the place where Seol had found Ur. It was also where he had fought him.

In this place, there was a secret hidden.

Swoosh…

It was the jar before him.

"Come out…"

Whir…

As the lid of the jar opened, a soul emerged.

"Wh-What… Why did you…"

"I need your help."

"Do you know who I am? I'm Ner… I don't know how to do anything."

Ner…

The soul that had helped Seol in Alcatron.

"No, you aren't Ner."

“I'm not Ner? What do you mean? I am Ner! What are you talking about?”

"I'm going to tell you your real name."

“Stop… Stop! I'm Ner!”

In the past, Ur had said this to Seol.

- Because I had a more difficult time gathering the malevolent energies inside Alcatron than I expected, not only was my resurrection delayed, but my strength was also below what I anticipated. It's quite strange, but… there may have been a leak somewhere…

Ur's evil energy didn't flow to him. It was taken by someone else.

"You're a vessel. Someone supposed to absorb the evil energy here to prepare for resurrection…"

"Don't!"

"Your name isn't Ner. You're… Thaliad."

Thaliad.

The moment that name was spoken.

Crackle—!

The jar shattered.

Ner's head dropped and then lifted again and faced forward.

"Ah… It still seems a bit early."

Ner—no, Thaliad now spoke in a completely different tone.

"To think I would wake up in a wasteland. How much time has it been?"

BOOM—!

The black knight bowed his head and said to the soul.

"Montra… Let me meet Jin again."

"Montra? Jin? I've never heard of such names."

The knight closed his eyes.

"But, since you've woken me up… I'll take an interest at least. After all, it's an easy task."

Crackle…

Thaliad opened and closed his hand.

Numerous kinds of energies flowed out from him.

"I've reached a different threshold compared to before. First, I'll have to look for my body."

His voice was one that had once echoed in someone's memory.

"Creation is the projection of consciousness. Creation is easier than herding sheep. Creation is a joyful act!"

The soul was sucked into the knight's embrace.

"I am… immortal."

The season of death had begun.

* * *

Life was divided into seasons, each with its own role.

Spring and winter alternate to enrich life.

When the shadow of death falls, life will also sprout.

Seol was now heading North.

It was a journey with no end in sight. Parting with Seol Hong was sad, but laughing on that path wasn't so bad.

"Open the Void. Let me rest a bit!"

"Okay."

At Karen's request, Seol opened the Void.

A cozy space was created.

It was the Veil's domain.

The afternoon was going as peacefully as it always did.

But then, something happened.

[Shake…]

A message window displayed a strange phrase he hadn't seen before.

"What? Did it just…"

[Shake…]

Seol went through his belongings.

Pop…

The sound was audible, but it wasn't coming from his belongings.

[Shake, shake…]

Pop…

A message indicating that Seol going through his belongings was a foolish act popped up.

[Something is about to awaken.]

Not only was Seol surprised, but the other four summons were also in disbelief.

"Don't tell me…"

Pfwhoosh—-!

Seol's shadow space vibrated violently, spitting something out.

[It woke up!]

It was the giant egg shrouded in darkness.

The noticeable difference was that the top of the egg had flown off.

"Wh-What?!"

"E-Everyone, calm down."

"Ur… why are you acting like that, too?"

"I didn't expect it to awaken… A dragon's child? I've also never seen one before."

Swoosh…

Something slowly rose from the eggshell.

"Gasp!"

Karen covered her mouth.

Soon, everyone realized that ‘something’ was a pair of cute horns curled like a ram's.

And behind them was a tiny face with innocent eyes.

"A child…?"

"A dragon."

"Sh-Should we try talking to her…?"

"What if we're attacked?"

The child suddenly stood up and said.

"RAWR!"

"AAHH!"

Karen was so startled she nearly fainted.

A little girl with charming fangs.

"I'm the Shadow Lord! Tansia! Rawr—!"

Except for Karen, no one else was particularly surprised.

No one was foolish enough to be startled by a child imitating a monster.

Tansia was flustered by the unexpected lukewarm reaction.

"All of you, I-I'll allow you to bow your heads!"

"…"

As everyone stared blankly, Tansia slumped back into the egg.

"Th-This is strange… m-maybe this wasn't it?"

It was a dragon.

The last legacy left by Tancreed.

Although she had been burned with a dark light instead of a green one, her symbol, she was still undoubtedly a dragon.

Step…

Step…

Everyone approached the egg.

Tansia's voice came from within.

"Where are my parents?! Come out right now! Tansia is very lonely! Sad!"

Tansia’s parents…

Her parent, Tancreed, was dead, and her sibling's whereabouts were unknown.

She had no family.

Jamad hesitated.

"Ehem…"

Jamad poked Seol's side repeatedly. In fact, Seol was already being poked by the four.

"I don't know much about small beings…"

Seol sighed and approached the egg.

"This energy…"

Tansia noticed it first.

Seol was the master of the shadows she had absorbed.

"Tansia."

"Uuh…"

After hesitating for a moment, the child rushed toward Seol.

Paaf—!

"Dad! I was scared! Everyone looks scary!"

Seol stroked Tansia's head.

"It's okay… they're family."

Life's spring and death's winter interesected.

Eras crossed paths with each other. The bell tolls.

Tansia shouted.

"Family! Tansia's family!"

A new era was coming.

Death had awakened and, along with it, life.

Was this the fading twilight or the rising dawn?

"Tansia has a family, too!"

A new family member was born in the Veil.