The 31st Piece Overturns the Game Board-Chapter 389

Shin Hyun had never gotten angry with Shin Yu—not in life, and not even in death.

Even though he had been scolded by Shin Rip and Shin Kang, Shin Hyun had never scolded him. On the contrary, he was the closest to him.

But now, Shin Hyun was angry with him.

"Stop being so childish! Just what are you doing…?"

"Hyun, calm down. At times like this, you must lead the conversation calmly."

"How am I supposed to calm down when he…"

"Stop."

"Ugh…"

Shin Hyun grumbled.

"Are you hurt?"

Scribble…

- Yes.

"I'm sorry… Come here, let's talk."

Shin Yu approached.

Just as one would expect from the eldest brother, Shin Rip took the lead.

"Yu, tell me why you haven't left."

Scribble…

- I… I can't leave… Both my hyungs are still stuck inside this place. I… no, we…

Shin Rip spoke firmly.

"Yu, you had a long dream, didn't you?"

- …

"The reason I sent you to the gate wasn't for you to become stronger. After all, if you're going to remain in the labyrinth, there would be no need to become stronger." ȑ𝓪NοＢÊṠ

- What do you mean?

"Inside that place, you've seen many people's deaths, haven't you?"

- Yes…

"Did everyone meet a death worth remembering?"

- …

"Probably not, right? Some died by tearing out their intestines, while others fell off cliffs. Could you find meaning in all those deaths?"

Shin Yu instinctively guessed what Shin Rip was trying to say.

"No, not everyone is given a worthy death. It's hard to accept, but it's the truth."

Shin Rip nodded and spoke calmly.

"Hyun and I have died here, inside the Pitch Black Labyrinth. We definitely died."

- No! If I don't acknowledge it, hyungs…

PAF—!

Shin Hyun rolled up his sleeve and showed what was inside to Shin Yu.

Shin Hyun's wrist looked like a half-erased sketch. His joints looked faint as if they would break at any moment.

"Brat, you not acknowledging it doesn't change anything. We are… disappearing. We could disappear at any moment—even right now."

- What?

Shin Hyun revealed a truth Shin Yu hadn't known—the fact that his hyungs were fading away.

"Hyun's words are true. We're desperately trying to resist disappearing. To be honest, we want to let go. However, the reason we can't is…"

Shin Yu stepped back.

"Shin Yu, don't run away!"

"Face reality! Grow up! Not everyone can avoid death like you!"

- Hyungs… do you want to leave?

"Yes."

- But why haven't you left yet?

"Because of you."

- What…?

Shin Rip and Shin Hyun looked at each other and nodded.

"We promised to hold on until we see you leave the labyrinth."

The siblings only cared for each other, and even death couldn't tear their bond apart.

Shin Hyun tightly held Shin Yu's hand and pleaded.

"If you don't leave now… you will be left alone in the labyrinth."

Pss…

Shin Hyun's ring finger scattered like dust.

* * *

"In the end… he didn’t come."

Kugugugugugung…

The next gate of the labyrinth was opening.

Until that moment, Shin Yu had not appeared.

Thud…

Thud…

"Hey there…"

Seol turned his head to someone speaking to him.

"Heek…"

"What's that…"

It was Beldre, Belian, and Lucia.

Their personalities had changed.

They were so different that it was noticeable at a glance.

'…Are they afraid?'

They were afraid of Seol.

"Aren't you planning to leave?"

"I'm worried the gate might close…"

They spoke hesitantly.

Seol thought for a moment and realized they were right.

After parting with Shin Yu, they had been waiting for him here all along, but he never showed up.

'There's nothing I can do…'

Shin Yu decided to stay in the labyrinth with his brothers. There was no more time to persuade him, and he had tried enough.

It wasn't like there was a lack of time and effort to persuade Shin Yu.

"…Go."

"R-Really?"

"Yes."

The three cautiously followed Seol from behind. For some reason, since they crossed the gate, they had stuck right behind Seol.

Hoo…

Seol sighed with every step.

It had been twenty-eight years in the dream.

Even if the passage of time were different, if he couldn't persuade Shin Yu in twenty-eight years, nothing would change in the future.

'…I can't afford to lose focus now.'

Why did I come all the way here?

Why did I spend two years here?

It was all for this moment.

If I ruin the result with regret, it will only create more regrets.

I had to walk the path.

Soon, blue flames lit up in front of them.

Hook…

Hook…

Hook…

Will-o'-the-wisps stretched to the left and right.

Whether it was a type of magic or not, they floated in the air without a medium, illuminating the surroundings.

It wasn't very bright, but it was enough to distinguish the surroundings.

That wasn't the only change.

Sleek…

The ceiling disappeared.

"My goodness…"

Lucia’s mouth dropped at the sight.

The place that had looked like an abandoned ruin just moments ago had become a starry sky.

Stars were densely scattered across the ceiling—until it vanished, revealing the night sky.

Seol had experienced this once in the Underground Garden, so he didn't react much.

Is this also an illusion?

He didn't know.

However, he suspected that this was the pitch-black hall’s true form.

Thud…

Thud…

Seol kept walking without stopping.

They weren’t that far from the gate. If he opened the door, he would probably see this place.

Though they hadn’t walked that far, it felt as though quite a bit of time had passed… especially for Seol.

'…Am I getting nervous?'

Of course, he knew what was in front of him.

At that moment, as if whatever lay ahead of them had been waiting, a sound came from the darkness.

"About… two years?"

"…"

Seol looked in the direction the voice came from.

"I was bored waiting for you to come, but you eventually made it."

A man was sitting on a large chair fit for nobles, bowing his head, and spoke. Was there another person in the labyrinth?

The man's face wasn't visible.

His arms were crossed as if he knew they were listening anyway, and he spoke casually.

"Did you enjoy the journey?"

"What journey are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about this place. You spent a long time here, didn't you?"

"…Thanks to you, I guess."

As Seol had said, he was definitely the master of this place.

"Heh heh… But… the brats behind you don't even seem willing to fight?"

Seol turned around and spoke to the three women.

"Back off."

"But…"

The three women also sensed it. If help were needed, they would naturally assist. However, Seol's answer was indifferent.

"Stay back, you're going to die."

No one contradicted Seol's words.

After all, if it weren't for him, they wouldn't have been able to escape the dream.

"Yeah, that's right. Make sure you behave when I take care of you. If you don't bother me, I won't kill you either."

At those words, Seol finally stepped back. Reflecting on their conversation, the one who seemed to be the master of the labyrinth appeared quite arrogant—boasting he could wipe out their group at any time if he so chose.

On the other hand, Seol didn't contradict that opinion. He knew that there was a reason for that excessive confidence.

Seol spoke to him.

"I'm not a murderer."

"Ah? Is that so? Thanks for letting me know. And…"

He felt the man was smiling.

"You know, you're pretty strong."

"…"

"I'm talking about two years ago. Now… I don't know. But you still made it here somehow."

"…And I remember you were quiet."

"Oops! Damn it, you should have told me earlier. I can't even mimic your personality. It's our first time meeting, so understand me. Maybe you're right."

Swish…

The man stood up from the chair, revealing his face.

"Impossible…"

"This can't be…"

Belian and Beldre were flustered.

Lucia couldn't keep her mouth shut either.

It was inevitable—the man who had gone through hardships alongside them was also standing across.

"You know yourself better than I do."

There was another Seol opposite them.

He looked slightly different, like when he first entered the labyrinth.

'That guy is… me from back then.'

This was the final gate of the Pitch-Black Labyrinth—a place where you can't survive without evolving and a place where the difficulty changes arbitrarily.

The Seol who had first entered this labyrinth had a different strength from the one who stood here now.

He was probably the strongest person currently within the labyrinth.

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His own duplicate…

The reason Shin Kang had struggled and been covered in blood when he tried to break through the labyrinth.

"Are you confident?"

"Well…"

"Why did you… give up this power?"

"I didn't give it up. I just hid it for a while."

"Hah… Is that so? So, did you get what you wanted? To challenge this power?"

Seol didn't answer. Instead, he spoke to Agony.

"Agony."

【Yes!】

"It's a tough fight, you know? …Can you do it?"

【I know! But it's okay! Because I'm the strongest!】

The Seol across him patted his chin.

“Agony, huh…”

Swish…

Chains flowed from the man's hand.

"There's an Agony here too."

Seol's Agony shouted at the Agony across it.

【Ah! There's an Agony there too!】

〖Ah! You're Agony too?〗

【Nice to meet you!】

〖Nice to meet you. I'm Agony too!〗

For a moment, the master of the labyrinth frowned.

They stood at a reasonable distance from each other, exchanging gazes.

The final gate…

Seol was now on the final test.

After the past two years, had he become someone worthy to walk ahead?

Whooo…

They both gathered energy in their hands simultaneously.

Both were black in color. However, Seol's side was a bit darker.

[The Shadow Summoner's Legacy Adventure begins.]

[Legacy Adventure 'The Darkest Light' is active.]

[You will lose everything or gain everything.]

Both were expressionless.

They both understood that if they pulled the trigger, their opponent would respond in kind.

"Then…"

The Seol across faintly smiled.

"Welcome to the Pitch-Black Labyrinth, show me your darkness."

They clapped their hands simultaneously.

Zaaak—!

Zaaak—!

Enormous energy surged from both sides.

[Seasonal Event: Using Dark Swordsmanship.]

…

Fire spewed from the muzzle across.

[Snowman summons Karuna, the Moonlight Knight.]

Whooo…

Clang…

A knight clad in black, radiating a blue light, appeared from the darkness.

Now, it was time to face the past.