The 31st Piece Overturns the Game Board

"Lady Shin Yo! Look over here!"

"This way! Here!"

"It's Lord Tae Yul! It's Lord Tae Yul!"

"Look at how imposing he is!"

This was the road through one of the mid-sized cities of the Great Khan Empire in the East. Shin Yo and Tae Yul rode on horseback, flanked by a considerable number of soldiers as they passed through the bustling streets.

It wasn't that they had led so many people from the start. All of this was because of the war against the ghosts.

Most of the Dragon's Flowers, who were engaged in the Dragon War, shuddered at the power of the ghost army. Many who set out with confidence fell to the ghost army's merciless blades, causing many to withdraw from the conflict.

In fact, even if Shin Yo and Tae Yul found the scale of the battles overwhelming.

"…"

As Tae Yul rode past the citizens, someone suddenly blocked his path, shouting.

"You wretched bastard! You're heartless and cruel!"

"Take him away!"

"You… You gave up! You abandoned my family in Tochang…"

"…"

"You should have died there! You! Tae Yul!"

"Take him away! Quickly!"

Clack…

Clack…

Shin Yo's horse quickened its pace, pulling up alongside Tae Yul's.

"Don't be shaken."

"It's fine. After all, he isn't wrong."

"But… Wasn't that being in Tochang?"

"…"

"Yaksha…"

Although ghosts were stronger than humans, that was only individually. Unlike ghosts, humans knew how to cooperate.

At first, the ghosts that appeared all across Khan had an advantage. But as the war progressed, the tide quickly turned in Khan's favor.

The turning point came during the rescue operation at Gi Seom, where Seol Hong, Chi Woo, Seol, and Jin Ryeo sacrificed themselves, resulting in a partial victory.

At that time, Tae Yul was so saddened by their deaths. Despite everyone's dissuasion, he hastily formed a search party when he realized Seol Hong's group was missing.

In the end, Tae Yul couldn't find them.

However, this played a significant role in the conflict between Khan and the ghosts.

How they sacrificed themselves to save the people reminded everyone why and how Khan had become the Great Empire it is today.

It was due to the sacrifice of many heroes.

The stone walls had been built over their sacrifices. With the Evil Dragon’s traces erased, the Empire was born.

The deaths of Seol Hong and Chi Woo, two Dragon's Flowers, earned them reverence from everyone. They had proven their devotion to the people of Khan through their deaths, and no one doubted their noble intentions. However, that didn't mean those who had died would come back to life.

It was around the time when the Dragon’s Flowers began forming large-scale alliances to conduct a rescue operation.

Pushing the results of the Dragon War aside, the Dragon’s Flowers and the Central Army fought with all they had to drive the ghosts out of this land.

The operations became bolder and more ferocious than before.

In the process, countless lives were lost, and blood was shed. Yet they couldn't stop—they had already resolved to die if necessary.

Humans who etched that resolve became entirely different beings.

The results were nothing like the chaos the ghosts unleashed through fear. Instead, Khan's strength began emerging from everywhere.

In addition to the Large Soldiers, skilled individuals who were unknown before came forward to assist Khan.

Thanks to that, many talented people began gathering under strong Dragon's Flowers like Tae Yul and Shin Yo.

They became even stronger than they had been before the war with the ghosts.

However, even they had an enemy they wanted to avoid. That enemy was Yaksha—the one who opened the fissure, allowing ghosts to invade the Human Realm and an overwhelmingly powerful being.

Unfortunately, even strong Dragon’s Flowers like Tae Yul or Shin Yo had no way of dealing with him.

The Dragon’s Flowers, who had boldly stepped forward and generals of the Central Army, were all beheaded by Yaksha.

Yaksha appeared during the operation in Tochang as well, which left Tae Yul with no choice but to give up.

He couldn't recklessly throw his forces into the fire like moths to a flame, knowing Yaksha was there.

They had to act when they had a sure way of dealing with it.

"You! You killed them! You shameless bastard…! Don't try to act righteous!"

"Take him away! Silence him!"

"…"

Because of this, many people began criticizing Tae Yul for his cowardice. It was something unavoidable.

He would have received criticism either way, whether it was for avoiding fighting Yaksha or for being foolish enough to lose his entire force.

It was his fate.

The Dragon’s Flowers were beings who had to endure both praise and criticism simultaneously.

"Whatever reasons I put forth would be just excuses."

"I think you should try finding some peace of mind. I'm more worried about your well-being now than during the Dragon War."

"I might have already crumbled the moment I lost Seol Hong."

"Older brother…"

Tae Yul looked up at the sky with dim eyes.

"She was truly a small child. But her eyes undoubtedly closely held the people of Khan."

"Do you miss Seol Hong?"

Seol Hong had lost her life while helping Tae Yul.

For Tae Yul, who always tried to be righteous, it was an indelible wound.

Perhaps it was a burden he would carry for the rest of his life.

"I have no right to miss her."

"Everyone believes in us. If Yaksha shows a gap, then we will cut his neck down with General Sang…" Even as she said that, Shin Yo didn't sound confident.

Yaksha's strength was immeasurable.

Even for General Sang, who was right below the Great General, it was uncertain whether he could defeat Yaksha.

Furthermore, as they held important positions, they couldn't endlessly chase after Yaksha.

"And… I'm planning to pay Master a visit this time."

"Master…?"

"Yes. I'm hoping Master might tell us how to navigate the situation."

"I see… That might be true…"

Clack…

Clack…

Tae Yul rode his horse, cutting through the crowd with a stern face. His back looked burdened with sorrow.

* * *

"Are you ready?"

When Spectre stretched and asked, Chi Woo, who was standing next to Seol Hong, replied.

Whoosh…

Chi Woo, who seemed like he could transform, returned to his human form.

"Of course! Who is it today?"

BOOM…

BOOM…

The 4th Ghost Soul and the 7th Ghost Soul.

Two members of the 12 Ghost Souls were standing before Seol Hong and Chi Woo.

After returning from the Library of All Knowledge, Spectre had been helping Seol Hong and Chi Woo train. This was part of that process.

The 4th Ghost Soul moved toward Chi Woo, and the 7th Ghost Soul approached Seol Hong.

"Hihi… Unlike the ones before us, we won't be so kind."

"They all said that."

Spectre briefly looked up at the sky and…

"Achoo!"

She sneezed.

Swipe…

After wiping her nose, Spectre said, "Start."

Paf—! Paf—!

Contrary to the underwhelming declarations, the fight unfolded quite intensely.

The battlefield was split so they wouldn't interfere with each other during the fight.

The first to strike was Chi Woo.

"Heup—!"

[Chi Woo used Whirlwind.]

[A wind blast, proportional to your weapon's attack power, shoots forward and then returns.]

[Damage significantly increases on its return.]

[Damage decreases with each enemy it hits, reducing damage by up to 70%.]

Paf—!

Paf—!

Two dragon wind blasts that resembled a ki blast were shot from Chi Woo's arms.

Fwoosh—!

The 4th Ghost Soul dodged the returning wind by moving its body.

"Tsk…"

"Suppress the spread. An attack thrown that carelessly won't even touch Yagwanggwi and Maegu. Well, if you're confident, you could use your wind to subdue the entire area."

"I'll suppress the spread…"

"A wise choice."

Chi Woo used martial arts to send ki through the wind.

No Dragon's Flower could match him, but things had been going awry since he encountered Seol. There were worlds he didn't know, and there were countless people whose strength his powers didn't affect.

It was only then that Chi Woo realized his flaw. Having primarily trained in wide-range attacks, he was weak in close combat, just like how a storm is less threatening than a spear to a human's life.

Whoosh…

Paf—!

This time, Chi Woo condensed a much sturdier wind and fired it off.

"You're moving much better!"

"Don't mock me!"

"Hehe…"

Something similar was happening to Seol Hong.

Clang—!

Clang—!

The 7th Ghost Soul was confronting Seol Hong while wielding a long chain sword.

"Do you feel fear?"

"…"

"What a strange thing. I can sense your emotions."

Clang…

Swoosh—!

The chain sword coiled around Seol Hong's sword.

Thud!

However, Seol Hong deflected it and sent another sword flying.

Whoosh…

[Seol Hong used Sword's Song: Bond]

[You can levitate a sword in the air and use it for both offense and defense.]

[The durability of the levitated sword is decreased and exerts only 80% of the weapon's attack power.]

"Your movements are slow! They're making me yawn!"

"Ugh…"

"Your heart is weak compared to the power you possess. Why is that?"

The 7th Ghost Soul flicked its tongue like a snake.

"Is that… Not your own power?"

"Ugh!"

Swoosh—!

[Seol Hong used Sword's Song: Spike.]

[All of the levitated blades rush toward the target simultaneously.]

[If the target dodges, the blades launch an extra attack.]

[The speed of the second attack is increased by 50%.]

Paf—!

"Ugh…"

The 7th Ghost Soul swayed its body and dodged the blades.

Swoosh—!

Paf—!

However, the blades surged toward him once more, which it narrowly evaded.

"Humans fear death. Why is that?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Is it because they can’t bear the idea of becoming worthless or losing the ability to control their own time? Truly, truly foolish."

Creak…

The chain sword coiled and twisted like a snake coiling into a knot and shot toward Seol Hong.

Paf—!

"Ugh…"

[Seol Hong used Sword's Song: Iron Wall.]

[The levitated blades move and make a defensive formation.]

[Defensive power scales with the weapon's attack power, increasing the chance to block incoming attacks up to 90%.]

Crack—!

The chain sword clashed with Iron Wall but was ultimately blocked.

"Isn't it laughable? After all, you've never controlled time. Not for a single moment. You're merely swept along by its great flow."

"You're quite talkative…"

Whoosh…

Seol Hong's stance changed.

[Seol Hong uses Sword's Song: Buttonhole.]

[The blades connect with their designated pairs.]

[Any target caught between them takes 400% of the weapon's attack power.]

"Damn!"

Papapaf—!

"Ugh…"

The 7th Ghost Soul narrowly evaded the attack, its body swaying steadily. But it couldn't avoid all of the blades. It glanced down at the sword that had pierced its right arm.

"Carless… Do you know how tough Yagwanggwi's skin is…?"

CLANG—!

An ear-splitting sound echoed.

Fssss…

As the 7th Ghost Soul turned its head, the 4th Ghost Soul had already been pushed back, showing signs of having taken Chi Woo's attack.

"That's enough. We'll stop here today."

Whoosh…

As Spectre waved her hand, the ruined surroundings miraculously returned to their original state.

"Woah… Amazing."

Chi Woo admired in surprise.

"Hahaha… It seems the power Hye Myeong granted you two is relentless. You are growing very quickly."

"Really?"

"Yes. However, Yagwanggwi and Maegu aren’t easy opponents."

"Can't you just handle it?"

"It would be foolish for a ghost like me—the ghost of all ghosts—to approach Yaksha, someone who devours ghosts. It would be a disaster if I lost my power. That's why I'm watching over you."

"Then, why did you just…"

"I think our conversation is over."

Swoosh…

Spectre glanced at Hamun's house.

* * *

While they were sparring outside, Hamun and Seol were having a conversation inside.

"How have you been?"

"I've been wandering across the continent, trying to break through the wall that blocked me."

"Ah…"

Seol was certain that Hamun had significantly changed. His energy had greatly shifted, and even the message referred to him as a powerful ally.

"Did you achieve what you sought?"

"…"

Hamun replied with a smirk.

Seol took that as a positive response.

The two continued talking, touching on various topics.

Amid their conversation, Seol asked the most pressing question, unable to hold back any longer.

"So, did you find a way to awaken Agony?"

"I did, but it isn't something we can do right away. After all, the demonic spirit clashed with Yaksha once and lost some of its energy. That's what makes Yaksha so terrifying."

"Are you saying… Agony won't be able to wake up for now?"

"Based on the answer I got from the Library of All Knowledge, that's the case."

Seol frowned.

'Agony…'

The fact that Agony wouldn't wake up worried him.

But just then, Hamun offered words that eased his concerns a bit.

"That doesn't mean there's no way at all."

"As expected… So, what's this method?

Swoosh…

Hamun placed a book in front of him.

"This…"

"It's one of the books I found in the Library of All Knowledge. It's a record left by my master, Orgo."

"Orgo!"

"Many of his experiments were documented in it. To think he actually realized these…"

Seol tilted his head.

"But weren't all those discarded… Ah…"

"What's the matter?"

"It's nothing."

The reason Seol stopped mid-sentence.

It was because there were indeed works of him which hadn't been discarded.

No. To be more precise, they couldn't be.

'Works with whereabouts that are unknown.'

And among them…

"There is something here designed specifically to counter beings like Yaksha. It's called Tohyang. I've personally seen its power firsthand."

He knew how powerful the Tohyang was and how it could help them in this situation. But Seol couldn't recall where it was.

'The Tohyang's whereabouts were lost, right…?'

As expected, the most crucial problem still remained.

"What about its whereabouts…?"

"Are you…"

Hamun awkwardly said.

"Familiar with the existence of the Celestial World?"

"Celestial World…?"

Creak—!

Suddenly, the door burst open, and Jin Ryeo barged in.

"Jin Ryeo…?"

"C-Celestial World… Are you talking about that place?"

"Lady Jin Ryeo, do you know about the Celestial World?"

Jin Ryeo blinked and replied to Hamun’s question, "I-Isn't that the place where Shin Yo's master, the Dragon, lives…?"

"So you know well."

"…"

"…"

"…"

All three of them blinked in silence.

Seol spoke up, "Hamun, just to confirm… Don't tell me that object is currently…"

Nod.

Hamun said, "The Tohyang is currently with that being."

"…"

"We're heading to the Celestial World."

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