The 31st Piece Overturns the Game Board

"Ahem… I wonder how much is left."

Shin Hyun muttered as he stared at the path Seol frequently walked through.

"Are you a watchdog, Hyun?"

"Hihihi… My courage seems to dwindle as I age."

"Who are you worried about?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"I'm asking if it's Shin Yu or Seol you're worried about."

"…"

Shin Hyun hesitated for a moment before responding to Shin Rip.

"I'm worried about both. Seol, who might despair for having been overwhelmed by a star, and Shin Yu, who will have to face someone else's despair once again."

"Hyun… Does Seol look like someone who would fall into despair?"

"I know, hyung-nim… I think the ones who understand that child the most are probably Shin Kang and then me."

Shin Hyun scratched his chin and said, "Hyung-nim, have you ever struggled due to Shin Yu's martial arts reasoning?"

"His martial arts reasoning? Not his sword arts reasoning?"

"Hihihi… Everyone knows that he's great at sword arts reasoning. I’m not talking about sword arts reasoning, but martial arts reasoning."

"I see… You could think that way."

"He understands everything about his opponent—how they spoke, their stride, their breathing, and even their posture. He perceives everything in an instant. Do you know how much despair that instills in others?"

Shin Hyun's tone became intense and harsh.

"That's why… I think it was before he became Kang's hand, back when the family had just realized his martial arts reasoning wasn't ordinary.

"Damn…"

Guessing what Shin Hyun had done, Shin Rip frowned.

"You showed him?"

"Yes… Wanting to boast my achievements, I performed my sword dance."

"Hahaha… As expected of you."

"If I understood his talent a bit more, I wouldn't have made such a mistake…"

"He replicated it?"

"…"

Shin Hyun shook his head as he replied.

"In just a few days, he was already better than me. No, he was already standing at the end of the path I wanted to follow."

"So he managed to perform the 3rd form…"

"Exactly. Hihihi… It felt horrible."

If something you devoted your entire life to achieving came easily to someone else… nothing instilled greater despair than that.

"Because I was young, I briefly resented him. I thought he was intentionally trying to humiliate his elder brother."

"You were rash. Don't you know Shin Yu isn't that kind of child?"

"I know. Shin Yu isn't someone who would mock others. Well, although it might be different now. I'm worried Seol might misinterpret Shin Yu's tests and sink into despair."

"Everything alive in this vast labyrinth, except for Kang Seol and Shin Yu, is a lie. Seol must earn Shin Yu's approval if he wishes to leave the labyrinth. Conversely, Shin Yu must help Seol grow."

Shin Hyun wiped his nose with his finger and responded.

"Shin Yu… might not want to leave."

"He must leave… Someone capable like him cannot remain trapped inside the labyrinth forever."

"That's from our perspective. He might see leaving the labyrinth as betraying us."

"That would be a childish thought."

"He's still a child. He had never been taller than his brothers. He never made a name for himself with the sword. He just lived looking up at us."

"Yes, even past our deaths…"

Shin Rip firmly said.

"That's why we, the dead, must find a way to send him off."

"Hihi… This conversation is just going in circles, isn't it? In the end, Seol cannot falter…"

"Enough. He's coming."

Step…

Seol was walking through the passageway.

He was covered in dust and dirt.

The Shin brothers looked at him with pity.

At first glance, he seemed to have been utterly defeated by Shin Yu.

Shin Hyun's eyes narrowed.

The brothers were thinking of trying to lift Seol’s spirits.

But Seol raised his head and looked up at them.

"So this is where you were."

"Ah… Yes. By any chance, Shin Yu…"

"Were you saying something?"

"Hmm. If you have something to say, go ahead."

Shin Hyun and Shin Rip were surprised as Seol, whom they thought to be reserved, was unusually assertive.

What Seol said next surprised them even more.

"I want to learn the sword."

"The sword…"

"So you've finally chosen this path?"

Nod…

As Seol nodded, Shin Rip and Shin Hyun smiled and said.

"Good. It might be slow and confusing at first. But if you persist with the sword, one day…"

"No, not me."

"Huh…? Hihi… What do you…"

"I won’t be the one learning the sword."

Clap—!

Swoosh…

A shadowy entity, who was now the size of an adult man, materialized in front of Seol.

"This guy is very motivated."

"…"

"Didn't you say I could ask for help whenever needed?"

Shin Rip muttered as he turned away and walked back to his residence.

"You crazy bastard…"

* * *

Seol found the hint about the next stage in the Darkness Dweller's trait.

The key was the Darkness Dweller's adaptability.

'It isn't about becoming the best swordsman.'

What were the chances of the Darkness Dweller becoming a top swordsman? He would have pressed forward if there were a guarantee that it could happen in one to two years. But it probably wouldn't reach that level.

It would need a lot of time before it could become a top-level swordsman like one of the Shin Brothers.

'But what about imitating?'

He thought that maybe imitating a great swordsman might be achievable even in a short time.

'Giving it Eyes of Foresight was the right choice.'

In that fleeting moment, the Darkness Dweller saw how Shin Yu's sword moved. It just couldn't replicate it properly.

However, this was a golden opportunity.

'If it were me, even witnessing the attack wouldn't have helped.'

The Darkness Dweller seeing what happened and trying to imitate it instantly was a testament to its immense potential.

"Hmm… Just a month is enough?"

Shin Hyun and Shin Rip ended up rolling up their sleeves at Seol's outrageous plan.

Shin Hyun began explaining about the Shin family.

"The Shin family's brothers, except for Kang, each have inherited a unique trait."

This was familiar information. However, interrupting a teacher was rude, so he silently listened.

"Hyung-nim inherited a body powerful enough to lift a mountain, enabling him to use the Thunderbolt Sword. I was born with unparalleled lungs, so I mastered the Rainfall Sword. And as you know, Shin Yu was born with extraordinary intuition."

Since it was information he knew, he wasn't planning to ask any questions, but…

'Wait. There's something I'm curious about…'

Seol voiced a question he had been holding for a long time.

"Why did the brothers learn such different sword techniques?"

"That's because the swordsmanship passed down from our ancestor was split."

"Ancestor?"

"Yes. Our ancestor made his name known across the continent with a single sword art. However, although his sword arts reasoning was perfect, he couldn't fully realize it due to a lack of aptitude. It was partially implemented and lacked completeness, so the elders split it into multiple forms and redeveloped it."

"Doesn't that reduce its efficiency?"

"Not at all. Each sword art is a masterpiece in its own right, on par with any other."

Well…

Seol couldn't imagine defeating Shin Rip or Shin Hyun, even if they were holding a scythe. So perhaps the specifics about what sword arts you used weren't that important.

'Or maybe they are. But these two are just beyond that level.'

A master doesn't question their tools. They trusted whatever they wielded.

And thus, Seol listened without complaining.

"Ehem… The Rainfall Sword isn't an ordinary sword art. It extends breathing to its limits, raining down strikes like a storm. No one but me could master it."

"Yes."

"I won't show you the 3rd form. You wouldn't understand it anyway. It would only hinder you. You… Uh… What that creature must focus on is the 1st form."

"Yes."

"I'm going to start."

Oof…

Paf—!

Paf—!

Paf—!

After steadying his breath, Shin Hyun executed three stabs, all at a consistent speed.

They were simple movements.

"Is that all?"

"Pay close attention."

He wondered if he could split the Darkness Dweller into fragments and observe from multiple angles, but Eyes of Foresight didn't work that way.

Moreover, only the night beasts could be split into fragments, not the Darkness Dweller.

Paaf—!

Paaaf—!

Paaaaf—!

Shin Hyun demonstrated clean thrusts a couple more times.

Seol fell into thought and said.

"Hmm… I'm not sure."

To be honest, Seol felt clueless.

Perhaps it was because he wasn't that knowledgeable about sword arts reasoning.

On the other hand, the Darkness Dweller…

Paaf—!

Paaaf—!

Paaaaf—!

It stood up and began mimicking Shin Yu’s motions.

Sometimes, imitating comes before understanding.

'This is one of those cases…'

Seol was a thinker, while the Darkness Dweller wasn't, so it simply copied.

Shin Hyun found this rather fascinating.

"You should widen your stride a bit. Yes. You’re putting too much force in the thrust. Your movements became much simpler, which makes it most predictable. Yes, that's it."

Paaf—!

Paaaf—!

Paaaaf—!

"…"

"What is this creature…?"

Just as it had surprised Seol before, the Darkness Dweller was now showing its talent to Shin Hyun.

"Good. Now, you should lengthen your breath here."

Oof…

At that moment, Shin Hyun's energy transformed.

Swoosh…

'This…'

The scene that Shin Yu had shown…

Shin Hyun's sword pieced the tree.

Paaannngg—!

A single thrust shattered a tree that was quite hefty.

"Are you going to show it only once…?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

Shin Hyun replied to Seol.

"I stabbed three times."

"What…?"

"Take a closer look."

Paaannngg—!

The same motion.

'Wait, no. It was different. He really did hit three times.'

Shin Hyun had executed three distinct movements so quickly that they looked like one.

Paf… Papaf!

Shin Hyun made a serious expression as if he had seen something from the Darkness Dweller's awkward imitation.

"Hmm… It seems that it will perfectly be able to learn up to the 2nd form. However, it will probably only be able to execute the 1st one."

"What? Why…"

"It would be better if you realize it on your own. After all, even if you know it, you won't be able to prepare for it."

Shin Hyun and Shin Rip were known for their concise swordsmanship.

Their sword arts consisted of just three forms, each with short, precise movements.

In essence, their swordsmanship involved no more than three actions. Of course, since Shin Rip and Shin Hyun were performing those movements, it wasn't a weak point.

Seol and the Darkness Dweller trained under Shin Rip and Shin Hyun for three months. They repeated the same movements daily and honed their sword skills.

[The Darkness' grace has descended.]

[Indermediate Swordsmanship has improved to Advanced Swordsmanship.]

…

And with this growth, Seol unintentionally realized something.

'The Darkness Dweller cannot imitate their swordsmanship.'

He thought that although it wouldn't be able to copy its depth, it should at least be able to imitate it.

However, that wasn't the case. It couldn't even imitate it.

'The problem is the difference in physical capability!'

Shin Rip had strength beyond human limits, and Shin Hyun’s lungs were so exceptional that it was hard to tell whether he was breathing.

While strength seemed within reach, its lungs would need to be entirely remade, much like the Skin of Origin.

He needed to reallocate the blood flow to its muscles and maximize each burst of power, and since the Darkness Dweller moved not with air but with Darkness, he had to fine-tune the circulation of Darkness.

[The Darkness Dweller can move faster using the Darkness Pouch.]

[The Darkness Dweller's muscles are enhanced.]

[The strength the Darkness Dweller can exert in a single burst has increased.]

…

Although the initial plan was for a month, the process took over three months, all to achieve the required conditions.

As anticipated, once the Darkness Dweller met those conditions…

Paanng—!

The Darkness Dweller’s thrust had shattered the tree.

"It worked…"

The Darkness Dweller had managed to imitate the Shin brother's sword arts, although it remained uncertain if it was as strong as theirs.

At the very least, it wouldn't be caught off guard.

Seol didn't take a break.

"You've been watching, right?"

Seol shouted into the empty forest.

"Come out! Let's settle this!"

For the first time, Seol didn’t wait for Shin Yu to visit. Instead, he sought him out.

Boom…

Boom…