The 31st Piece Turns the Tables

Chapter 4

Slide.

The knight raised his sword.

He was the guardian spirit of the Forgotten Moon Temple.

‘Karuna, the Moonlight Knight.’

The reason the Forgotten Moon Temple was so notoriously difficult was because of the Moon’s Plaza, the place Seol was standing right now.

‘It was hard figuring out a strategy when we first did it.’

The Moonlit Dance was way too difficult of an Adventure for a game you’re supposed to sit around in a circle on the table and laugh about.

This Gate’s goal was for the player to reach the safe zone at the opposite side of the plaza while dodging Karuna’s attacks.

The problem was that even a single attack from Karuna would result in you being scorched to death by the moonlight.

It was one of those horrible sections where the boss master had an instant-kill attack pattern.

- Woah… someone that looks cool came out…

- Breaking News) This guy’s the first player to reach the final Gate sheeesh

- We’re at the forefront of humanity!

- The only info we have is the guidebook. Woah, what are his stats?!

- This is supposed to be a tutorial Adventure?

This Gate was pretty much a game of tag.

It looked simple but because other simple things were added to it, it became rather complex.

‘The tiles…’

The tiles he saw in the 1st Gate: ferocious lion, jealous wolf, benevolent moon, docile sheep.

The tiles in this room had the same drawings as he saw there.

‘And the colors.’

Red, blue, and black.

Every single type of tile he stepped on earlier was here.

He had to reach the safe zone by stepping on these tiles while avoiding Karuna’s attacks. It sounded easy but every single person who thought this would be easy, died to Karuna’s moonlight.

‘It’s been a while.’

Seol looked at the options in front of him.

[[You see a tile.]

1. Step on the Black Sheep Tile.

2. Step on the Black Wolf Tile.

3. Step on the Black Moon Tile.

4. …

…]

For the first tile, Seol stepped on a red lion tile.

Click.

“Insolent!”

The order he had to step on the tiles was the same as before: lion, wolf, moon, then sheep.

This was going to be the case until he reached the safe zone.

If he messes up, even once, Karuna’s moonlight would fully charge and kill the player’s piece.

‘The colors each play their individual role too.’

The red tile slowed down Karuna and removed a part of his moonlight.

Bsss

When Seol stepped on the red lion tile, Karuna’s armor lost a bit of its shine.

‘You have to step on the red tile about three times.’

That was the number necessary to remove his moonlight entirely as well as the most you could slow him.

If Karuna wasn’t given this penalty, he could just easily waltzed over and cut the piece’s head off.

Seol continued, as he stepped on the red wolf tile.

Click.

The red moon tile.

Click.

Bssss

“Iiiii wiiiilllllll… cuuuuuuut youuuuuuuuurrrrrr heaaaaaaaaadddd…”

Karuna’s speech was also slowed down by the red tiles.

But just because Karuna was slowed didn’t mean that he could be ignored. He was still about as fast as Seol’s power walking speed.

It would’ve been nice if this effect could’ve stacked even more and made Karuna completely powerless but it didn’t give any additional effects after the 3rd time.

‘Next is…’

Click.

Seol stepped on the black sheep tile.

Boom.

Bam!

Fwooosh!

When Seol stepped on the tile, an iron ball flew out from somewhere, hitting Karuna.

“Hmph!”

Hummmm!

Even though the armor caved in a bit, Karuna’s armor was once again full of moonlight.

And Karuna, after recovering his moonlight, returned to his original spirit.

The iron ball was unable to damage Karuna until his armor ran out of moonlight.

“Halt!”

Hummmm!

When the distance between them increased, Karuna’s body started shining with the moonlight.

He took a stance to take out his sword.

‘It’s the instant-kill pattern!’

Karuna’s instant-kill pattern activated when the player felt safe with the distance between them.

When Karuna unsheathed his sword, not only was he able to reach anywhere on the plaza, any adventurer hit by it would be cut into two.

There was only one way to respond to it.

Click.

Seol stepped on the blue lion tile and stood still.

Karuna’s body completely absorbed the moonlight.

Hummmm.

In an instant, Karuna used Moonlight Slash, his instant-kill attack.

BAAAAAAAANG!

The moonlight passed where Seol stood but he was neither burned nor cut.

“Goodbye.”

If you stood on the blue tile, you were able to defend yourself against Karuna’s Moonlight Slash.

Seol immediately stepped on the red tile and increased his distance from Karuna again.

“Insolent bastard! Face your judg—!”

Click.

Click.

Click.

“meeeeeennnnnnttttt…”

He then stepped on the black tile.

Click.

Boom.

Bam!

CRUSH!

A huge chunk of Karuna’s armor was taken out.

But, once again, Karuna recharged his moonlight and reached Seol in an instant.

‘New Moon Step…’

There was no way Karuna would be notorious if Moonlight Slash was all that he had.

Regardless of the distance between the player and Karuna, they were always in danger.

Karuna, after recovering moonlight, regains his energy instantly like he was never injured at all and charges at the player.

‘This is when it’s most dangerous.’

The most dangerous timing for the player was right after the moment when Karuna was hit by the iron ball and recovered moonlight.

Because during these moments, in The World of Eternity, Karuna received a bonus to his dice rolls.

It didn’t matter too much in the game since Karuna one shot the player anyway but it held a different weight in real life.

‘He’s ridiculously fast!’

Click.

Click.

“Hoooooow daaaaaaaare yooooooou…”

But after Seol stepped on the red tiles, Karuna was helpless again.

Seol had almost reached the end of the massive plaza they were on.

“IIIIIII woooooon’t looooose youuuu…”

Seol stepped on the black tile.

Click.

Boom.

Bam!

CRUSH!

When the iron ball hit Karuna’s shoulder, the armor’s shoulder piece fell off with it.

“You bastaaaaaaard!”

Seol, before he realized it, already reached the last tile.

He had successfully avoided Karuna’s attacks and as long as he stepped on the last tile, he would receive his reward.

Karuna would also stop chasing him as well.

Seol’s foot reached for the last tile.

* * *

Translator - goguma

Proofreader - Karane

* * *

There was a perfected strategy guide made by the gods who cleared the Forgotten Moon Ruins.

It was a strategy guide made through the sacrifice of countless pieces.

And as long as you followed that strategy guide and didn’t have awful rolls, you would be able to easily clear the Adventure while avoiding Karuna.

Many gods passed the Adventure using that strategy guide.

And they never had any doubts that there could be a better strategy.

Snowman also used the strategy guide to clear the Adventure with the best rewards for his pieces.

But what could ever be perfect in this world?

The gods might’ve believed that but Seol, a human, had doubts about the strategies crafted before him.

‘Is this really the best it could be?’

Is the correct solution to clear the Forgotten Moon Ruins really to just run away from Karuna?

Seol had doubts and asked the gods about it.

What he got in response was disappointing.

- That’s dangerous though. What use is a game piece if it’s dead?

- Why would you suffer like that when all that happens is more attack patterns being added?

- Why? Is there a reason to go that far?

Seol thought that the way they thought was a bit different from his way of thinking but he didn’t say anything.

The gods were afraid to fail.

And those afraid to fail were also afraid to challenge themselves.

Seol quietly crafted his own strategy alone, keeping it all to himself.

“See, it’s possible.”

The most important thing was that… he was right.

* * *

Step.

Seol was about to step on the last tile but returned back to the plaza.

“I almost left it behind.”

The rewards he would get for passing through the plaza would be amazing and it would definitely be a big help in the future Adventures to come as well. In The World of Eternity, clearing an Adventure in a spectacular manner leads to the next Adventure being easier.

But something here was more important to Seol than those rewards.

“Do not sully the moonlight!”

Click. Click. Click.

“ You fooooouuuuuuul…”

Boom.

Bam!

CRUSH!

“Guaaargh!”

Every single attack that Karuna took now was a critical attack.

Bits and pieces of his armor had already fallen off and because there was no moonlight to absorb into the armor, he was slower.

‘It’s almost time for Karuna’s final attack.’

What difficulty would there be in following through a strategy you came up with yourself?

Seol was Snowman and Snowman was Seol. He had no fear.

Fwooooosh

Once again, it was the attack pattern for Moonlight Slash.

Karuna gathered the moonlight into his sword. His eyes were determined.

“Must you really make me go this far!”

FLAAAAAARE!

[The moonlight eats away at Karuna, the Moonlight Knight.]

[Karuna takes continuous damage.]

[Karuna’s dexterity increases by 10%.]

[Karuna’s dexterity increases by an additional 1% every 5 seconds.]

[Karuna’s dexterity will continue to increase until he defeats his foe.]

10% was nothing to scoff at.

And because it increased by an additional 1% every 5 seconds, even the slightest hesitation would lead to Seol’s death.

What he needed now were elaborate, planned movements.

“Die!” shouted Karuna.

But it was in vain. Seol had already been standing on a blue tile since a while ago.

FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!

The entire plaza trembled from the moonlight.

And Seol laughed at him.

‘So this is why it’s called Moonlit Dance.’

When Seol played it as a player, he thought it was a bit over the top. But as a game piece, he realized now that there was no better title.

They were dancing.

Seol never faced Karuna directly himself, they didn’t even touch each other once.

One aimed to approach the other and the other used the tiles to lead them.

Moonlight filled up the foggy plaza.

And the battle using the tiles continued.

But soon, even that was coming to an end.

Karuna gasped for breath while staring at Seol with hazy eyes.

“Let’s finish this.”

“How insolent… intruder!”

It was the countdown before death.

It felt like each step of the tiles was like the ticking of a clock.

Click.

4.

Click.

3.

“Maaaaastteeeeer wiiiiiillll…”

Click.

2.

And the final, black tile that Seol was about to step on, signaled the end.

Click.

1.

Bam!

The iron ball that shot out aimed for Karuna’s thick helmet.

And it landed, perfectly.

CRUUUUUUUUUUSH!

“Kgh…”

Thud…

Karuna’s head was thrown back as he fell to his knees.

His helmet flew off and his armor could no longer hold the moonlight.

“Master… I wasn’t… able to… complete my… mission…”

Karuna’s face was revealed. He was an elf with snow-like skin.

But his head was smashed up. Blood flowed down his face.

“I’m sorr—”

Thud.

Seol stepped on a black tile, a bit further away.

Boom.

CRUUUUSH!

Karuna fell over after an iron ball hit his chest.

“......”

And after that, a bunch of messages popped up all at once.

[You have passed the Final Gate of the Forgotten Moon Ruins.]

[You may select your rewards.]

[A ‘gem chest’ has been generated.]

[You have defeated Karuna.]

[Your reward has improved.]

[The ‘gem chest’ has improved to a ‘moon chest’.]

[If you choose to take your reward, you may choose to finish your Adventure here.]

[You have earned the achievement ‘Moon Hunt’.]

[You have earned the title ⌜The One Who Brought Down the Moon⌟.]

“Fuuu…”

The only one left under the moonlight in the plaza was Seol.

And before he went to open the moon chest, the highest rank reward, he approached Karuna.

“Master, huh…”

Seol smiled.

“I’m going to be your master from now on though.”

- Is there a reason you’re going this far?

He had the methods, he just needed to make a reason.

And Seol, right now, had more than enough reason to take down Karuna.

Seol activated the Shadow Summoner power.

“Serve me.”

[You use Shadow Summon.]

Swoop—

Karuna’s shadow writhed.

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